"...The environment is where we all meet; where we all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing that all of us share. It is not only a mirror of ourselves, but a focusing lens on what we can become..."

- Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Johnson

First Lady of the United States

CRISIS

POLLUTING OUR ENVIRONMENT

HOMELESSNESS & INADEQUATE HOUSING

* In the USA annually, over 569 million tons of construction debris from roads, bridges, buildings, demolition, etc. is per year is dumped

* Leading cities for recycling in the US: San Francisco, CA Boston, MA Chicago, IL Denver, CO Portland, OR

* Leading countries for recycling rates: Switzerland Australia Germany Netherlands Norway

* On average, trash costs:

$30 per ton to recycle

$50 per ton to sent to landfill

$65 to $75 per ton to incinerate

* 552,830 homeless in the US

* 49,933 are Military Veterans

* Top 4 US cities with the most unsheltered homeless: San Francisco, CA, Los Angeles, CA, Santa Rosa, CA, Seattle, WA

* 100 million homeless worldwide

* 1.6 billion globally without adequate housing

* New York City spent $3.2 billion on homelessness programs in 2019

INFERIOR QUALITY, TOO EXPENSIVE AND TOO TIME CONSUMING

HOW DID THIS MESS GET CREATED???

* Since 2017, only 31% of construction projects were completed within 10% of their original budget - only 25% came within 10% of their original deadlines

* Primary over-budget causes for traditional construction: unclear scope of work + extras ack of effective communication employee absenteeism changes to scope/project unforeseen site conditions poor workmanship schedule delays

* Primary schedule delay causes for traditional construction: on-site labor challenges budget inaccuracies delayed approvals/inspections sub-contractor conflicts lack of effective communication poor weather

* Failed architectural & political solutions

ASSISTANCE

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CURRENT U.S. GOVERNMENT STRATEGY ON THE NATIONAL HOMELESS CRISIS

From the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness:

Housing provides a foundation from which a person or family can access the services and supports they need to achieve stability, begin the recovery process, and pursue personal goals.

To treat and manage chronic health and behavioral health conditions that often affect their ability to stay housed and achieve their personal goals, people experiencing homelessness must have access to comprehensive health care.

3. Build Career Pathways

One of the most effective ways to support individuals as they move out of homelessness and into permanent housing is increasing access to meaningful and sustainable job training and employment.

4. Foster Education Connections

For children and youth experiencing homelessness, schools can be a lifeline. They provide safety, stability, and a connection to community that can help mitigate the impact of homelessness.

5. Strengthen Crisis Response Systems

An effective crisis response involves coordinating and reorienting programs and services to a Housing First approach, and emphasizes rapidly connecting individuals and families to permanent housing, while mitigating the traumatic effects of homelessness.

6. Reduce Criminal Justice Involvement

Our national data shows that the number of Americans caught in a revolving door between the streets, shelters, and jails may reach the tens of thousands.

7. Build Partnerships

Recognizing that the solutions to homelessness cut across federal, state, and local jurisdictions, we need to build a robust interagency, cross-sector approach to preventing and ending homelessness.

8. Prevent Homelessness

To end homelessness in America, we must strengthen our ability to prevent it in the first place. To do that, we must take a multi-sector approach that focuses on housing needs, housing stability, and risks of homelessness across many different public systems.