The statistics on homelessness are hard to ignore. More than 20 percent of the world’s population – 1.6 billion people – lack adequate housing. In the United States, more than a half million people are experiencing homelessness on any given night. These numbers have undoubtedly grown as the pandemic has caused people to lose jobs, salary, and the ability to pay their mortgage or rent.

I’ve spent much of my career focused on programs designed to alleviate poverty and give people better access to financial services and basic human needs. I thought I knew a lot about homelessness and how the lack of adequate housing is detrimental to people, families, and communities.