Bold solutions to end the homelessness crisis

Homelessness has been a challenge in the United States since before it was a country, as the early colonies struggled to address the “wandering poor.” Today, it is a full-on crisis. The Department of Housing and Urban Development reports that in 2023, more than 650,000 people in the U.S. were unhoused due to factors including rising housing costs, immigration, and the end of COVID-19 relief programs. Among the states, California tops the charts, with nearly 30% of America’s homeless and 50% of the nation’s unsheltered homeless.

However, innovative new solutions are bringing fresh glimmers of hope. As part of that solution, we’re using our business models to move the process forward. Here’s how we’re doing it.

Bring innovation to the homelessness crisis 

Founded during the pandemic, nonprofit DignityMoves is developing interim supportive housing communities in California on temporarily vacant land with prefabricated, relocatable “tiny home” structures, to give every resident their own room with a door that locks. In these communities, service providers offer critical case management, supporting residents in achieving the stability and security needed to transition out of homelessness.

As a new model, interim supportive housing is proving to be a lynchpin solution to homelessness. Of the 610 formerly unhoused individuals who’ve resided in our first four DignityMoves communities, 307 have transitioned to more permanent housing so far.

Part of DignityMoves’ innovation is that we identify vacant or underutilized land that we can borrow for a few years, rather than purchasing permanent property for the communities. In this way, an unused half acre—such as a parking lot, odd-sized parcel, or future development location awaiting entitlements—can quickly become a community of 70 rooms, complete with ample common areas. Using emergency building codes to cut through red tape and modular materials to build quickly and at scale, our communities are designed to be temporary and transportable; they can be moved to a new neighborhood in need when the time is right.

DignityMoves is partnering with cities throughout California to bring our model where it is needed most and we’re leading the movement to integrate sustainable and scalable interim housing solutions into the toolkit for addressing homelessness. Companies like Azure Printed Homes are using recycled materials, energy-efficient design, and 3D printing to rapidly deploy modular constructions. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Azure prints sustainable and cost-effective homes from eco-friendly polymer waste. By automating our construction process, we can significantly reduce labor costs and construction time, which is a game-changer in the homelessness crisis, where the needs are dire and rapid intervention is vital.

Legislative support

For true long-lasting impact, this work requires policies that support quick and effective action in addressing the homelessness crisis. In California, Senator Josh Becker’s Interim Housing Act (SB 1395), signed into law in September 2024, marks a significant step. Streamlining the approval process for interim housing projects, the law makes it easier and faster to build these units, a critical step in addressing the state’s housing shortage.

By reducing regulatory hurdles, it empowers local governments to implement solutions quickly. As a cosponsor of SB 1395, DignityMoves has led efforts to change the narrative on unsheltered homelessness, and advocates for a simplified approval process for the development of rapid, cost-effective, and scalable interim housing solutions and funding for supportive services. The longer someone suffers the trauma of living on the streets, the more difficult it is to return to stability; quick and effective interim solutions can have an outsized impact.

Another glimmer of hope is the recent passage of Proposition A in Los Angeles County in the November 2024, election, which provides an additional $1 billion annually to combat homelessness. This significant funding can support multiple initiatives in a county with more than 75,000 unhoused, including the expansion of supportive services and the implementation of innovative programs and solutions like interim supportive housing.

A new path forward

Combining private innovations with legislative actions like SB 1395 and Proposition A creates the potential for renewed vigor and greater impact in addressing the homelessness crisis. By streamlining the regulatory process and utilizing modular, sustainable construction techniques, California can rapidly scale the supply of safe, dignified alternatives to tents and freeway overpasses and get more people safely off our streets. In leveraging the power of technology and strategic policy changes, California can serve as a model of best practice for other communities throughout the U.S. and beyond.

Imagine the possibilities this model can create. By combining technological advancements, supportive legislation, thoughtful partnerships, and dedicated funding, we have the power to make significant strides in reducing homelessness. 

Gene Eidelman is the cofounder of Azure Printed Homes. Elizabeth Funk is founder and CEO of DignityMoves.