Homelessness

Homelessness is the condition of people without a regular dwelling. 

People who are homeless are most often unable to acquire and maintain regular, safe, secure and adequate housing, or lack "fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence."

The legal definition of homeless varies from country to country, or among different jurisdictions in the same country or region.

THE NATIONAL COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS

The National Coalition for the Homeless is a national network of people who are currently experiencing or who have experienced homelessness, activists and advocates, community-based and faith-based service providers, and others committed to a single mission: To prevent and end homelessness while ensuring the immediate needs of those experiencing homelessness are met and their civil rights protected.

NCH began 30 years ago at a convening of state and local organizations working together to ensure the right to shelter and access to affordable housing for men, women, children and families who were experiencing homelessness. NCH decided early on that it would be an organization that not only welcomed the participation of people who had experienced homelessness, but made certain that there would always be a place at the table for input and decision making.

Today, NCH delivers on that promise each and every day, most notably through programs like theFaces of Homelessness Speakers’ Bureau. Throughout NCH’s history, homeless led advocacy has worked to create lasting local solutions to the national problem of homelessness.