Vanguard cities gather to address street homelessness

May 31, 2018

Earlier this May, about 40 international policymakers and advocates gathered at DePaul for the first official meeting of the vanguard cities, a group at the forefront of the institute's campaign to end street homelessness. These cities will work to set an achievable goal to address street homelessness in their city by 2020 as part of the goal to help 150 cities work toward ending homelessness by 2030.

Kat Johnson, director of the Institute of Global Homelessness, addresses the May 2018 conference. "We are generating the momentum of a global campaign, and bringing these cities together is the drumbeat beneath it all," says Johnson. (DePaul University/Jamie Moncrief)

Isabel Lacalle of Santiago, Chile, addresses homelessness advocates and policymakers during the May 2018 conference for the Institute of Global Homelessness. Lacalle says these gatherings help her feel connected to a global community that is facing common problems and can share solutions to end homelessness. (DePaul University/Jamie Moncrief)

Rehana Vally of Tshwane, South Africa, addresses fellow homelessness advocates. Tshwane is among the 13 vanguard cities setting goals to address street homelessness by 2020. (DePaul University/Jamie Moncrief)

Advocates listen during the gathering of vanguard cities with the Institute of Global Homelessness. (DePaul University/Jamie Moncrief)

Representatives from 13 vanguard cities share challenges and solutions during a recent conference held by the Institute of Global Homelessness. (DePaul University/Jamie Moncrief)

Dame Louise Casey, chair of the Institute of Global Homelessness Advisory Committee, talks about the challenges facing the vanguard cities. (DePaul University/Jamie Moncrief)