#13 seems to be a key number for Vincentians fighting homelessness around the world, despite all the superstitions that surround that number. Almost a year ago, we launched the “13 Houses” Campaign with the hope of changing the life of 10.000 homeless people in 3 to 5 years.

Our partner, the Institute of Global Homelessness (IGH), based at DePaul University in Chicago, launched  A Place to Call Home initiative in 2017 with key global strategic partners to begin pioneering work in 13 targeted cities across 6 continents: Adelaide and Sydney (Australia), Chicago and Little Rock (USA), Toronto (Canada), Montevideo (Uruguay); Santiago de Chile, Greater Manchester and Glasgow (UK), Brussels (Belgium), Rijeka (Croatia), Bengaluru (India) and Tshwane (South Africa).

Each city has made a commitment to significantly reduce or end street homelessness. IGH works directly with the targeted cities, helps them develop strategies and evaluation tools … and in doing so, helps them take quantitative and qualitative steps toward the achievement of their goals. Through its global network of homeless experts, IGH provides these groups with technical assistance to address the challenges of ending street homelessness in each city.

This initiative will make real what was viewed as impossible and at the same time will clear the path for 25 more cities to become part of this project to end street homelessness by 2025 — they will then be joined by another 120 cities to end street homelessness by 2030. This deadline is aligned with existing global targets, including the UN Sustainable Development Goals. A Place to Call Home initiative is designed to support and uplift local expertise and innovation while reaping the benefits of both community and global exchange. In A Place to Call Home, IGH leverages the foundation of its work — supporting leadership, exchanging knowledge, creating a global infrastructure, and advocating for change — to make a meaningful impact on street homelessness in cities across the globe.

We, members of the worldwide Vincentian Family, will keep searching for new ways to work with the poorest of the poor all over the world, with the common objectives of eradicating homelessness. We will keep you up to date with all the developments from both campaigns.

Source: https://vfhomelessalliance.org/