Cross-Sector Collaboration to Improve Homeless Services: Addressing Capacity,Innovation,and Equity Challenges

Abstract

Homeless services are plagued by resource scarcity and fragmentation, making the field a poster child for cross-sector collaboration—a policy trend where nonprofits and government come together to address problems that cannot be solved by one sector alone. The continuum of care (CoC) system mandates this—through coordination, regions are thought to be better able to integrate services to improve homeless outcomes. This study uses qualitative data from eighteen CoC networks to investigate (1) the collaborative challenges that CoCs experience and (2) the role that network managers play in addressing those challenges. Findings indicate three primary challenges: lack of capacity, inability to create momentum around innovative practices, and inequities across service populations. Together, these can affect the trajectories of people who are homeless by making the system less efficient and creating service gaps, but leaders can address them by promoting a collective vision and sharing power.