Why It's Important To Check Fairly Frequently On Your Chronically Homeless Clients Who Have Housing For The First Time In Over A Decade:

"No, we don't pee out our windows, that's what bathrooms are for! Just walk down the hall next time!" - Something a case manager actually said to one of their newly housed clients

When Someone Tells You The "Housing First" Model Won't Work Because Then Everyone Will Want To Be Poor:

No, last time I checked, no one wanted to be poor.

For those who don't know: Housing first is exactly what it sounds like; housing the homeless and then working on the other issues that kept them homeless to begin with.

What It Feels Like When Your Client Almost Misses Their Final Appointment With A Housing Provider, But Then Makes It In At The Last Second:

Thoughts Many Case Mangers Have When Helping Move A Client Into Their New Apartment:

When Your City's "Ten Year Plan To End Homelessness" Fails To Include A Plan To Create More Affordable Housing Units:

So, exactly what are our homeless supposed to move into?

When You Go Do A Housing Inspection For Your Client And Find That He's Been Leaving Open Food Containers Out For Days:

When You Tell Your Client, Who Has Been Homeless For Nearly A Decade, That They Will Be Getting Housing:

What It Feels Like Trying To Get A Client Who Has Multiple Previous Evictions Housed Again:

When A Brand New Client Wants You To Find Him Or Her Housing, Transportation, A Job And Fix Their Social Security Issues Today... Right Now:

I am not the magical crisis fairy. We will get to as much as we can today, but there is no magic wand.

When You Are The Only One In The Office Who Can Figure Out How To Get Clients Through The New Housing Form:

When You Ask Your Currently High Client If He Or She Understood The Instructions To Get Their Name On The Housing List:

So... that's a no...

When, After Eight Months Of Advocacy, You Finally Get Your Chronically Homeless Client Housed:

It only took a mental health assessment, getting their name on housing lists, calling and bugging the the people on the housing boards relentlessly, keeping the client from vanishing due to the long wait-list time...

When You Realize How Many Of Your Homeless Clients Are Veterans:

This Memorial Day don't forget those who sacrificed to protect your rights and freedoms who are currently homeless. On any given day it is estimated that over 57,000 Veterans are homeless in the United States. Don't forget their service.