Timely Innovation Needed: Scaling Solutions for Children, Youth & Families Facing Homelessness

There was a time when nobody knew what a food bank was ~ because they didn't exist yet. The same is true with all kinds of social-impact solutions (like domestic violence shelters, micro-lending programs, or the building of affordable housing). But creative people got inspired, put heart and mind together, and created solutions, movements, and enduring change.

There also was a time when nobody could have imagined shopping online then tracking a shipment to their home ~ something we now take for granted. I remember when banking wasn't online, real estate wasn't online, grocery stores weren't online, entertainment wasn't online, and on and on.

My experiences and career in social work started in the late 1980s, first in Youth Homelessness, then HIV/AIDS, then moving into the Children, Youth & Families. In Human Services, generally, it is fair to say that we have yet to benefit from the kinds of scaled technology resources and innovation that have literally transformed everything else around us. We operate today in a very 1990s kind of way ~ not because we aren't smart enough, but because the resources haven't risen up to meet the needs, and the truly vexing tech challenges, if they don't pay, don't get sufficient buy-in.

Over the past generation: Where there has been a promise of prospective financial gain, scaled solutions and the assumption of tech resources have been at the bedrock of entrepreneurship. If someone might make money innovating, then someone will innovate. But the same is not true if innovation serves the social good without financial gain for the innovator: This requires a combination of talent to innovate, resources for research & development, and a genuine heart for the greater good. (I love collaborating with people who have this wonderful combination!)

In the much needed effort to end the cycle of family-homelessness (a form of homelessness that is uniquely manifest, misunderstood, publicly hidden, yet massive in scope and impact) there is room for the kind of disruption and innovation I'm mentioning here. Currently, there are all kinds of barriers that keep natural helpers (like teachers, counselors, fire departments, libraries, faith communities, community centers, neighbors, friends) from being able to make effective referrals for a family facing homelessness. Tragically, it is baffling and complex for most natural helpers to help, because they have no idea where to turn, because information changes, because organizations are over-burdened, and because systems aren't aligned. And even if they do make such a referral, whatever organization they refer to isn't reliably networked to other organizations with complementary services or capacity.

Nonprofit workers are masterful in knowing how to help, but the information often lives in their heads, differing from staff member to staff member. And they are working in under-funded, under-supported organizations, without the benefit of large scale investment and tech to optimize collaboration, cross-referral, and collective capacity management.

I'm currently working on a project that aims to transform all this. It is complicated. It's ambitious. It's unwieldy. And yet it is the right thing to do. We will use human-centered design, and we'll design this platform for those most greatly impacted (not designing based on our own assumptions, but on the insights and desires of those with lived experience, those who know best what they need). We'll begin with a strong and pointed lens on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; be resolute in our commitment to Trauma-Informed Care; and we will offer this collaboratively across human services organizations that choose to opt in.

If you are interested in learning more, I hope you will comment here to let me know. There is momentum building, and I'd like to include you if it sounds like this might have your name on it!