Our Mission
To end homelessness through changing lives.
Our Vision
Our Values & Purpose
The Coalition exists to strengthen awareness of our shared humanity and to challenge the idea that scarcity, exclusion, or dehumanization are inevitable. We believe the condition of homelessness is not a result of personal failure but of a society shaped by self-motivated systems, choices, and beliefs. Our work is grounded in the understanding that people are not problems to be managed or resources to be exploited, but sources of perspective, learning, creativity, and connection. We understand that everyone has issues, and we seek to help them anyway.
Our values are fundamentally relational. We care deeply about how people are treated, heard, and understood. Compassion, fairness, honesty, and respect for human dignity guide our work, as do curiosity, learning, and thoughtful reflection. We value mindfulness and awareness, taking the time to think carefully about our assumptions, our impacts, and the humanity of those around us. We believe integrity means aligning our actions with our values, even when it is inconvenient or uncomfortable.
We prioritize trust over control, cooperation over hierarchy, grace over blame, open-mindedness over certainty, and reasoned dialogue over dominance. Warmth, approachability, gratitude, and reliability are essential to how we work together. We strive to create a culture where people feel safe contributing their skills and lived experience, where disagreement is handled with care, and where accountability comes from shared responsibility rather than fear or control.
What This Means in Practice
We are not driven by ego, perfectionism, status, or power. We reject performative leadership, image management, and the pursuit of control for its own sake. We do not believe people exist to serve systems, wealth, or appearances. We believe systems should serve people. Perhaps most importantly, we recognize that we are responsible for one another. When we fail to intervene in widening inequality, it is not those in poverty who lose their humanity, but those of us who look away.
How We See the World
- Humanity not hierarchy
- Open-mindedness not certainty
- Acceptance not perfection
- Awareness not assumption
- Learning not certainty
- Cooperation not control,
- Authenticity not performance
- Gratitude and humility not entitlement
Our History
The Coalition was founded in 1989 and has 34 years of experience working with homeless individuals and families, homeless service providers, and the community. We have provided dozens of trainings for a wide variety of groups including law enforcement, service providers, and homeless families.
Our Beliefs
Convictions
Housing is a human right.
Access to healthcare is a human right. Homelessness is not a crime. Individuals and families facing homelessness deserve an immediate response.
Homeless and previously homeless people must be involved in every part of our work. It is a national shame that so many veterans remain homeless. Families should not be punished for poverty and children belong with their parents whenever possible. We must be scrupulously careful with every donated dollar. Our work must be totally transparent.
Discrimination cannot be tolerated for any reason including discrimination based on race, color, ethnicity, criminal background, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, gender identity, marital status, national origin, income, employment or housing status. Denial, minimization and/or ignorance of homelessness is damaging and perpetuates the problem of homelessness.
Collaboration and cooperation with like-minded individuals and organizations is the key to building sufficient momentum to create change.
We should strive to cause no harm. Coronavirus has disproportionately impacted the homeless population.
Black lives matter.
Addiction is a disease, addiction and mental health should be covered by insurance like any other health problem. People with substance abuse and/or mental health problems are not wrong or bad and are equally deserving of our compassion.
Progress requires coordinating with other agencies at the local, state, national and international levels. Pets are often the closest tie many homeless people have but most homeless programs will not accept them requiring people to relinquish their best friend to find shelter. This has been a problem for years and the homeless system should seek solutions to this problem.
Criminalization OF THE HOMELESS
There are many widely held beliefs about the homeless that we dispute. For example, many people in houses have substance abuse and mental health problems as well as physical disabilities. Therefore, it is unfair to say that people are homeless because of their behavioral health issues. We know that homelessness is an economic issue, not a moral issue. Homeless people rarely have time to organize despite countless laws being passed that criminalize not having a place to stay. The Coalition serves as the voice for the homeless and stand up for the rights of people who are poor, we also advocate for more funding not only for shelter but for important programs that benefit people in shelter such as mental health, housing, and employment.
Criminalization of homelessness is everywhere. Looking back at the history of the world, we find that whenever a group of people is marginalized or seen as “other”, they are treated differently than the majority population. While the poor have always been treated differently, homeless people often suffer dire consequences as a result of their homeless status. In Fort Lauderdale alone there have been efforts to make it illegal to give anything to a homeless person (food, money, etc.) Such laws would never be considered for the majority population. As a result of their unique experience with homelessness, we consider homeless people integral to our work. Many of our volunteers, staff, and board members have had personal experience with homelessness which helps all of us understand the barriers that they face. We have found that there is a profound disconnect between the people making decisions for the homeless (elected officials for example) and the people on the street. For example, for a long time in Fort Lauderdale psychiatric help was free to homeless people through the Federal Healthcare for the Homeless grant. At the same time there was no funding for prescription medication. This is just one of many examples where efforts to assist the homeless flounder because the people designing and funding programs do not always understand the realities of being homeless. At Coalition to End Homelessness, we are dedicated to providing support and resources to those in need. Our mission is to make a positive impact on the world by helping those who are struggling. With your help, we can continue to make a difference in the lives of many.