Homelessness looks different in every city, but the cities that have actually reduced it share a clear pattern. Their progress is not accidental. It is built on specific choices, funding priorities, and community design. When people talk about homelessness in the United States, the conversation frequently becomes oversimplified. Narratives become political. People are blamed for their circumstances. Funding is misallocated. Yet there are cities that have proven progress is real when leaders commit to strategies rooted in evidence instead of fear.
This blog looks at a few of those communities and what they have in common. Places like Houston, Milwaukee County, Rockford, and Abilene have all seen major reductions in homelessness by centering Housing First, coordinated systems, and data driven accountability. Their stories matter for every community, especially as harmful narratives continue to mischaracterize the crisis and as many cities consider policies that criminalize homelessness instead of solving it.
At Cherry Willow Apparel, our mission is rooted in unconditional love and community action. We believe in centering data, elevating humanity, and building solutions that treat people with dignity. Progress does not come from punishment. It comes from understanding the real drivers of homelessness and applying approaches that are proven to end it. The cities leading the way reflect this truth.
Below are the themes these successful cities share and why they matter now more than ever.
A Commitment to Housing First and Permanent Housing
Cities that have shown long term reductions in homelessness have embraced Housing First in some capacity. Housing First is not a slogan. It is a framework backed by robust evidence. The core idea is simple. People cannot stabilize their health, employment, safety, or recovery without housing. Once individuals have a safe and stable place to live, support services like mental health care, addiction treatment, and employment programs become significantly more effective.
Houston is one of the most cited examples in the country. Through a coordinated Housing First strategy known as The Way Home, the region has reduced homelessness by more than 60 percent since 2011. Between roughly 2012 and 2024, the region moved more than 30,000 people into permanent housing while overall homelessness dropped by more than sixty percent. This progress came from prioritizing permanent supportive housing, aligning funding around one strategy, and refusing to treat homelessness as a law enforcement issue.
Milwaukee County tells a similar story. After launching a Housing First initiative in 2015, the county saw overall homelessness fall by more than 46 percent and unsheltered homelessness fall by more than 90 percent. Chronic homelessness in shelter also dropped significantly by focusing on permanent supportive housing and targeted case management. Evaluations found that Milwaukee’s Housing First program saved taxpayers millions of dollars by reducing use of emergency rooms, crisis services, and the criminal legal system. The message is consistent. Housing people is cheaper and more humane than leaving them in crisis.
Abilene, Texas, shows how quickly progress is possible when Housing First and coordinated data systems are used together. After joining the Built for Zero network in 2018, Abilene reached functional zero for veteran homelessness in 2019 and chronic homelessness soon after. The community’s approach combined permanent supportive housing, landlord partnerships, and close coordination across local partners. Their success demonstrates that size is not the determining factor. Strategy is.
Across these examples, one pattern is constant. The cities that reduce homelessness treat housing as the starting point, not the reward.
Strong Coordination Across Agencies and Nonprofits
Another defining characteristic of successful cities is the strength of their coordination. Homelessness is not solved by one agency, one nonprofit, or one funder. It requires an ecosystem where government agencies, community organizations, health systems, philanthropy, and housing providers all work together in real time.
Houston formalized this collaboration through The Way Home, a regional homeless response system that unites more than 100 organizations under one coordinated strategy. Instead of dozens of agencies competing for funding and using disconnected approaches, Houston brought everyone into one system with shared goals, shared data, and shared decision making. That structure is one of the reasons the city was able to show such large systemwide reductions.
Rockford, Illinois, followed a similar path through Built for Zero. The city was the first in the country to reach functional zero for veteran homelessness and chronic homelessness, in part because it built a unified team that included city officials, nonprofit providers, the housing authority, and community partners. Everyone used one real time data set, met regularly to review progress, and coordinated housing placements as a single system.
Abilene used the same Built for Zero methodology and created an integrated team responsible for veteran and chronic homelessness. This allowed them to move quickly, avoid duplicated efforts, and maintain lasting reductions.
The lesson from these cities is that coordination is not just about having meetings. It is about building one shared system with one shared goal and empowering it to direct resources effectively.
A Data Driven System With Clear Accountability
Successful cities do not guess. They measure. They analyze. They adjust. Communities that reduce homelessness use data dashboards, outcome tracking, and public reporting to hold themselves accountable.
In Rockford and Abilene, real time, person specific data was central to reaching functional zero. Both cities kept by name lists of every veteran and every person experiencing chronic homelessness, tracked where each person was in the housing process, and used that information to prioritize housing placements.
In Houston, the coalition analyzes inflow and outflow data to understand how many people are entering homelessness each year and how quickly people are exiting into housing. Their long term reduction of more than sixty percent is directly tied to using data to target resources where they have the most impact.
Milwaukee County also uses detailed data tools to track reductions across unsheltered, chronic, and family homelessness. This transparency helps leaders identify which programs are working and where additional investment is needed.
In each case, data serves two roles. It guides strategy and it creates public accountability.
Investment In Housing, Prevention, and Family Stability
Cities that have made measurable progress understand that homelessness cannot decrease without an increase in housing and prevention. When rental costs outpace wages, vacancy rates are low, and supportive housing is underbuilt, homelessness rises. Communities that reverse this trend invest heavily in affordable units, permanent supportive housing, and targeted prevention.
Milwaukee County paired Housing First with deliberate investments in family stability, including prevention programs that reduced the number of families entering shelter. The combination of rental assistance, landlord mediation, case management, and long term support helped stabilize households before they fell into crisis.
Houston’s reductions have been driven by large scale investments in permanent supportive housing funded through a mix of federal grants, local funds, and philanthropy. The region placed tens of thousands of people into permanent housing by prioritizing long term solutions over temporary fixes.
In Abilene and Rockford, the focus was on aligning existing housing resources, recruiting landlords, and using vouchers and supportive housing units strategically. These communities did not always build massive new developments. Instead, they used data and coordination to make every available housing opportunity count.
The message across cities is clear. Housing and prevention are essential if homelessness is going to decline.
Human Centered Narratives And Community Buy In
Cities that successfully reduce homelessness are intentional about how they talk about it. They lead with facts and humanity instead of fear. Public opinion plays a major role in whether communities support new housing, approve funding, or welcome people returning to stability.
Houston’s leaders and advocates have emphasized repeatedly that the city’s reductions came from housing and supportive services, not enforcement. Local researchers and community leaders have warned that criminalizing homelessness undermines progress by shifting focus away from strategies that actually work.
In Rockford and Abilene, local leaders worked closely with landlords, businesses, and residents to frame homelessness as a solvable systems problem rather than an individual failing. Built for Zero case studies note that these communities used public forums, media engagement, and transparent communication to build trust.
Milwaukee County’s approach is built on a simple principle that resonates across sectors. The only thing that ends someone’s homelessness is a home. Clear and consistent messaging like this helps residents understand the root causes of homelessness and the solutions that provide real stability.
When communities see homelessness as a structural challenge rather than a personal flaw, they are more likely to support evidence based policies and long term investments in stability.
What Your City Can Learn From These Examples
Houston, Milwaukee County, Rockford, and Abilene each faced unique challenges, budgets, and political landscapes. Yet their results share the same foundation. When cities choose Housing First, build coordinated systems, use real time data, invest in prevention, and communicate with honesty and humanity, homelessness declines.
These approaches work in large metros, mid sized regions, and smaller communities alike. Progress does not depend on population size or geography. It depends on political will, clarity of strategy, and commitment to proven solutions.
For cities deciding whether to criminalize homelessness or invest in housing and coordination, the examples are clear. Communities that choose evidence over fear see real progress. Communities that choose punishment see cycles repeat.
At Cherry Willow, we will continue using our platform, partnerships, and community to advocate for solutions rooted in love, dignity, and data. Homelessness is solvable. The cities proving that truth are showing us the way forward.
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