Deborah De Santis

Many of our public systems have embraced supportive housing for their highest need populations. And now child welfare agencies are poised to incorporate supportive housing into the range of services they offer to families in need as well. As we end National Child Abuse Prevention Month, I want to turn...

Over the past several years, those of us in the business of solving homelessness have seen a troubling trend: Progress seems to be plateauing when it comes to ending chronic homelessness. This despite the increasing national inventory of supportive housing, which is the proven solution for men and women who...

This morning I had the opportunity to participate in a groundbreaking for a new affordable housing development in Brooklyn, New York. CAMBA Gardens is an innovative project spearheaded by the nonprofit agency CAMBA, which provides services that connect people with opportunities to enhance their quality of life.

CAMBA Gardens is...

What is more important to a society than its children?

As moms and dads, aunts and uncles, grandparents, and neighbors, we all feel the mandate to keep our kids safe. Of course, not every child has a home filled with family to care for them. Some of our kids...

This week I joined colleagues from CSH and fellow New Yorkers for our city's Point in Time Count. As I walked the streets of downtown Manhattan in the snow, I kept hearing echoes of President Obama's State of the Union Address -- specifically of his call to freeze spending on...

Are we making a difference in the world? What is the impact of all our hard work? How do we know that what we do matters? As the year comes to a close, we all ask ourselves these questions. We take stock. After all, it's easy to get caught up...

I'm here in New York City at the Clinton Global InitiativeAnnual Meeting, helping to pay tribute to Step Up on Second, a very successful provider of permanent supportive housing.

The story behind Step Up is nothing short of inspiring. It began over 25 years ago as...

On Tuesday, I attended the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) release of the Obama Administration's much anticipated comprehensive plan to prevent and end homelessness, titled, Opening Doors: The Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness. The Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) applauds the...

Homeless and severely mentally ill, Lavelle has been arrested more than 150 times in the last decade, traveling between Chicago's littered skid row and the Cook County Jail without ever getting any meaningful treatment. A recent study issued by the National Sheriff's Association and the Treatment...

As this Memorial Day weekend approaches, it is unfathomable that so many men and women who've served in our nation's military have no roof over their heads. That any veteran should be homeless is tragedy enough, but equally alarming is that data shows veterans are overrepresented in the total homeless...

Each April, we observe Fair Housing Month and reaffirm the ideals it represents.

In April 1968, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Fair Housing Act prohibiting discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of housing.

Since then, the protections against discrimination and unfair housing practices have expanded beyond what was originally...

There are different opinions on what exactly constitutes homelessness. Is it someone forced to crash on a family member's couch because she is unemployed and cannot afford rent? Is it the family squatting in a newly foreclosed upon home? Or the more commonly held image of a person living under...

While there has been much debate in Congress and in the media about health care reform, the administration's proposal contains good news for those of us engaged in preventing and ending homelessness.

The proposal would provide that nearly all people experiencing homelessness would become eligible for health insurance through the...

As our nation pauses to salute those who serve our country, it is important to recognize the incredible work being done to combat homelessness among veterans. To eradicate this scourge, current efforts must be bolstered by additional financial and political investments.

Sadly, veterans of our armed forces are disproportionately...

A lot is being said and written about access to health care these days. But unless we get a handle on how to lower the ever-escalating costs of health services, efforts to ensure that all Americans have equal access to care may only produce headaches and a larger national debt.

A recent ruling handed down by federal court is a reminder to all states and municipalities that individuals with mental illness should have access to housing and services that enable them to thrive in the communities where they live.

Disability Advocates Inc. v. New York State provides opportune time to...

I was at the National Alliance to End Homelessness Conference in Washington, DC from July 28-31, listening to U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan sum up what's been accomplished in recent years and what remains to be done to prevent and end homelessness.

Earlier in the month,...

As President Barack Obama tours the country making a compelling case for real healthcare reform, his message is clear: We must do a better job of containing costs by providing more effective and appropriate health care for all Americans. This is especially true for people with complex healthcare needs who...

Today I had the honor of attending a bill signing ceremony transforming a major initiative that helps combat homelessness across our country. With the sweep of his pen, President Barack Obama has accomplished what many of us have been fighting for since the early part of this century: the re-invigoration...

Imagine being in the prime of your life, possessing an incredible musical ability, so gifted you are accepted at one the most prestigious performing arts schools in the world. You are in an orchestra with Yo Yo Ma. You could be the next Beethoven or Mozart.

Then picture your...