Complexities of cross-sector action

Our summer seminar on “Homelessness, Families, and Schools” hosted an engaging conversation with Barabra Poppe, the Director of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), with one of the central issues of discussion being the need for — and complexities of — cross-sector action in addressing homelessness.

The “Opening Doors” report that was issued by USICH (http://www.usich.gov/opening_doors/annual_update_2011/) lays the groundwork for such action, but as participants in our seminar (which included several key local and state leaders in homeless policy oversight and implementation) noted, the move from macro-policy discussions to local practice is arduous. Director Poppe offered several excellent suggestions for collaborative practice and her ideas spurred rich dialogue among our group. We were grateful for her generous participation and look forward to continuing our deliberations on how to best serve our students and families who are most in need of our support.