While Vermont doesn't have any urban area as populated as Portland, Ore., we might have something to learn by reading a recent report published by Living Cities.
"A Human Connection: How Portland, Ore., Made a Big Dent in Chronic Homelessness" tells the story of how Portland reduced its population of chronic homeless by 70 percent between 2005 and '08.
The key to their success? Establishing a "human connection" between the city's chronically homeless and public.
Download the publication (14.7 MB; PDF) from Living Cities' Web site.
We'd be remiss if we didn't take this opportunity to also point you to VHFA's report on chronic homelessness from May 2008: "The Costs and Benefits of Assisting Vermont's Chronically Homeless" (948 KB; PDF).
Living Cities is a philanthropic collaborative of 22 of the world's largest foundations and financial institutions focused on improving the lives of low-income people and urban areas.