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The mission of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness is to coordinate the federal response to homelessness and to constellate a national partnership at every level of government and every element of the private sector to reduce and end homelessness in the nation. Since its revitalization by President Bush in 2002, the Interagency Council as an independent agency has carried out the President’s commitment to end chronic homelessness in the United States. In doing so, the Council has forged an unprecedented national partnership that extends from the White House to the streets and includes federal, state, and local government, civic and business leaders, advocates, providers, consumers and faith-based organizations.
The Council works to improve access to and coordination of federal investments among its Council member departments and agencies; ensure the effectiveness of federal activities and programs; engage and assist state and local governments, advocates, service providers, and customers in creating effective local solutions; and provide technical assistance and evidence-based innovation and best practice information to partners at every level of government, as well as the private sector.
The Council fulfills a unique role in highlighting the basis in research of federal initiatives to reduce and end homelessness, communicating increases in targeted federal homelessness resources, rapidly disseminating innovative ideas, and identifying homelessness strategies that are innovative and produce results.
The Council is the only federal agency that coordinates the federal response to homelessness. The 20 member agencies meet regularly to coordinate programmatic and funding efforts, share information, reduce duplication, and assure that their agencies’ resources are available and accessible to persons who are homeless. This unique role is created by statute. The Council also recommends policy changes to improve such assistance; and monitors and evaluates assistance to homeless persons provided by all levels of government and the private sector.
"Our strategy begins in the White House and extends to the street
in collaboration with state and local government, homeless and mainstream providers and advocates, and homeless people themselves. Our intent is to include everyone in the response, to insure that no one is left behind."
"We seek visible, measurable, quantifiable change on our community's streets, within our homeless programs, and, most especially, in the lives of our most vulnerable neighbors."
"We are not content to manage the crisis, or to maintenance the effort, or to accommodate the response. We were called to one goal, one objective, one mission - to abolish homelessness. Now is the time to forward the advocacy, fashion the strategy, and to fulfill that mission."
"On the issue of homelessness, partnership trumps partisanship. There is no D or R or I or G on this issue. We are all Americans working together to end a social disgrace."
US Interagency Council on Homelessness
Executive Director Philip Mangano
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