In 1983, a group of concerned leaders founded the National Citizens Committee for Food and Shelter to help meet the emergency needs of a growing population of homeless people across the country.

By 1987, it was clear that despite the Committeeʹs success, homelessness had taken root for a number of systematic reasons, and a ʺhot and a cotʺ were not going to end the problem. At that time, the organization became known as the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

The Alliance grew from a federation of more than 2,000 providers and public agencies to a current network of over 9,000 partners, making the Alliance the largest partnership dedicated to ending homelessness.

From 2003 to 2007, the Alliance expanded its organizational capacity considerably in the areas of policy, capacity building, education, and research. In 2003, the organization broadened its program and policy focus to include health issues that affect homeless people. In 2004, the Alliance launched the Center for Capacity Building, which initially focused at that time primarily on assisting communities with developing plans to end homelessness. In 2006, the Alliance launched the Homelessness Research Institute, the research and education arm of the organization. Finally, first in 2005 and then 2007, the Alliance expanded its program and policy expertise in the area of youth homelessness.

And the results of efforts by the Alliance and others have been palpable. Between 2005 and 2007, homelessness decreased by 10 percent due to changes in federal and local policy, improved education of the public and policymakers, and increased capacity of communities to implement best practices.

Today, with the help of federal leadership and local activism, the Alliance aims to continue on its journey to end homelessness once and for all in America.

The Alliance works to prevent and end homelessness in the following ways: Improving Policy, Building Capacity, Educating Opinion Leaders.