Derek van Straaten

Care for the Homeless in 1984, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Pew Charitable Trusts, together with the U.S. Conference of Mayors, established the National Health Care for the Homeless program. A group of New York City homeless service providers and advocates met to respond to the proposal to provide health and social services to homeless people. It is committed to ending homelessness by providing direct services for homeless single adults and families, by conducting public education, research, and analysis of model programs and practices that create permanent housing opportunities, and by shaping policies to prevent future homelessness.