How to Address Homelessness in Your Town

Designing and Organizing Communities to End Homelessness

This course focuses on the critical role of both activist and architectural leadership in addressing homelessness through community-driven solutions. Homelessness is not merely a social issue; it is a systemic failure that affects the dignity, health, and well-being of millions. As we witness the stark contrast in perspectives between countries like Denmark, where homelessness is nearly nonexistent, and the U.S., where too many people regard it as "Darwinian," it becomes clear that change is not only possible but necessary.

Value and Key Outcomes: This course will cover how to build a new project in your town for folks who otherwise do not have any shelter. This includes a clear delineation of how to organize the effort and the various steps of getting a project built in your town. This course will highlight the community-first approach to homelessness, where the focus is not just on housing, but on building functional, supportive neighborhoods that help prevent isolation and offer peer support to those in need. You’ll learn how a community can solve many of its own problems and provide long-term support once people are housed and integrated into a connected, sustainable environment.

This course is for: Legislators, non-profit staff, housing developers, municipal employees, architects, planners, designers, grassroots organizers, activists, urban volunteers, and all good citizens interested in taking action on this topic.

By the end of this course, you will have a clear understanding of the steps involved in organizing and building projects that provide shelter for the homeless. You will gain invaluable insight into organizing efforts, community-enhanced design strategies, coalition-building, and the practicalities of working with non-profit developers. The course will also draw on the expertise of the leading architect in the cohousing movement to guide you through creating neighborhoods that foster both sustainability and community engagement.

Session Breakdown