Some say that homeless people should “just get jobs.” Some advocates might say to just give subsidized housing to everyone. I think the answers to homelessness lie somewhere in the middle but whatever we do, the people who are homeless make it worth our effort!

Bill Miller has served as Executive Director of Friends of the Homeless (FOH) for the past ten years, first designing and now managing the organization’s unique Springfield campus that includes the FOH Resource Center and its 24-7 emergency shelter and housing facilities. During this time, FOH has aligned itself with the national, statewide and regional efforts to “End Homelessness”. When the “movement” began, Miller was as skeptical as anyone that homelessness could be ended. But, the “Housing First” strategy at the core of the movement is based on the very humanitarian idea that we don’t need to wait to solve all of an individual’s personal problems before helping them obtain housing. FOH data and efforts since they started have continued to bear out what others are finding in many parts of the country that with the right resources and strategies, some of the very hardest to serve individuals can be brought back from living outdoors to something more dignified and cost effective.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx