Causes: Civil Rights, Homeless & Housing, Homeless Shelters

Mission: Founded in 1982, the National Coalition for the Homeless has become a leader in the struggle against poverty. We are the oldest and best-established national organization providing technical assistance and support to homeless-led groups on the grassroots level. Our mission is to prevent and end homelessness while ensuring that the immediate needs of those experiencing homelessness are met and their civil rights are protected.

Results:
• NCH played a leading role in the creation, passing and reauthorization of the McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987.The HEARTH ACT, as it is now known, was the first -and remains the most- significant federal legislative response to homelessness.
• Since 1996, our Faces of Homelessness Speakers’ Bureau has provided homeless and formerly homeless individuals the opportunity to speak directly about their experiences and to educate others. Since 1999, NCH Bureaus have spoken at over 5,000 events and to nearly 500,000 people.
• NCH has collected, recorded, and produced yearly reports on the rise in hate crimes/violence against the homeless since 1999which have led to Hate Crimes protections in ten states, and the introduction of the Homeless Hate Crimes Statistics Act inCongress.
• NCH has registered over 25,000 homeless and low income voters, and has joined in a national coalition of organizations working to fight a wave of recent state-level voter registration restrictions, helping to ensure that all people, with or without a home, are able to register to vote.
• NCH has played a pivotal role in the creation and development of street newspapers nationwide, as well as Washington, DC’s“Street Sense” Newspaper.
• Each year NCH sponsors Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week where nearly 1,000 communities and school groups hold educational events.
• On the longest night of the year, NCH remembers the homeless who have died in communities across the country: Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day is observed in 150 cities from over forty states, DC and Puerto Rico.
• Since 2012, NCH has providing support and technical assistance to advocates in 12 states where Homeless Bill of Rights measures have either been passed or introduced, measures that further support the rights of people experiencing poverty to obtain housing or employment, and to be free of harassment based on their income or housing status.

Target demographics: those at risk of or currently experiencing homelessness

Direct beneficiaries per year: educate 18,500 audience members about homelessness, 60 AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers provide social services and capacity building to communities in 10 states, provide the technical assistance to strengthen or create homeless-led advocacy organizations in 5 communities

Geographic areas served: all 50 states

Programs: advocacy and organizing for increases shelter resources through campaigns like the National Campaign for Youth Shelter, service learning opportunities through the Faces of Homelessness Speakers' Bureau and Homeless Challenge Project, and organizing national days of action like Homeless Persons' Memorial Day and National Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week.