Homelessness Prevention

Over half a million Americans experience homelessness every year

Cost of living increases and inflation are pushing many families over the brink. In 2023 alone, 653,000 Americans experienced homeless. But there’s good news lining these dark clouds: communities see a major decrease in homelessness when they invest in homelessness PREVENTION programs.

Treating homelessness is costly — preventing homelessness isn’t.

It costs an average of $35,578 per year to support a person who is chronically homeless, including costs for emergency shelters, healthcare, and law enforcement. In contrast, preventing homelessness permanently through early intervention costs, on average, $2,000.

We bring personalized help to people in crisis.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is spearheading a nationwide movement to prevent homelessness. In cities across the United States, SVdP Councils and Conferences bring help and hope to the unhoused in our communities through rental and utility assistance, food pantries, charitable pharmacies, day centers, transitional housing for disabled and veteran persons, and more.

More and more single-parent families stand on the brink of homelessness. One car wreck, hospital stay, or layoff can dislodge a family from a home and put them out on the streets.

$60 Million of assistance provided

In 2023, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul mobilized $60 million in emergency financial assistance to prevent evictions and keep people housed. Every dollar invested in prevention saves up to five dollars in costs associated with homelessness. And keeping individuals and families housed promotes healthier, more stable communities. Will you help?

Donate to Homelessness Prevention Today

In the NEWS

Devastating Wildfires Heighten Importance of Homelessness Prevention in California 2048 1536 SVDP USA
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Devastating Wildfires Heighten Importance of Homelessness Prevention in California

by David Garcia, Executive Director, The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Los Angeles The wildfires that devastated Los Angeles and surrounding communities have brought the threat of homelessness ever closer to countless doorsteps. I’m not just talking about the tens of thousands who were displaced by the fires, many of whom face the awful…

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Helping families on the brink of homelessness saint vincent de paul 2
I’ve been homeless and served the homeless. Real help starts with listening. 1080 720 SVDP USA
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I’ve been homeless and served the homeless. Real help starts with listening.

I’ve been homeless and served the homeless. Real help starts with listening. By Bill Smith, Society of St. Vincent de Paul Kentucky  I’VE BEEN IN THE “HOMELESSNESS BUSINESS” FOR 40 YEARS. This includes nine months of what I call “hardcore time”  on the street, but I have spent most of the rest of the time…

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Loving Our Homeless Men: We Have Succeeded and Failed 2560 1707 SVDP USA
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Loving Our Homeless Men: We Have Succeeded and Failed

by Michael Vanderburgh, Executive Director, Dayton District Council Dayton, Ohio is nationally known for a lot of things: invention, innovation, military heft, a massive water supply — and the largest homeless shelters anyone has ever seen. For the past 40 years, we have succeeded in providing shelter, food, and clothing. But we have also failed.…

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