By Kathryn Carley, product
Public News Service
November 12, 2026
Today’s affordability crisis is leaving families across the U.S. just one unexpected expense away from eviction. One nonprofit in Silicon Valley said targeted intervention and a touch of compassion have proved they can prevent homelessness before it starts.
Destination: Home, a public-private partnership, has helped nearly 44,000 people near San Jose remain in their homes by offering quick and flexible cash assistance and ongoing counseling.
Jen Loving, CEO of the partnership, said she hopes more communities will see stabilizing people’s housing reduces both suffering and the strain on public services.
“Since we started in the most expensive region in America, it doesn’t feel like that is going to be too difficult to prove, but we still need to do the very hard work and the research side by side to prove that this kind of model can work anywhere,” Loving explained.
A $90 million philanthropic investment will allow 10 urban, rural and tribal communities to identify who is at risk of homelessness and provide tailored support. Loving suggested it could include paying for car repairs so a parent can get to work, or ensuring the elderly can stay in the homes they’ve worked for their entire lives. Half of all renters in the U.S. are considered cost-burdened, meaning they’re spending 30% or more of their income on housing and utilities.
Homelessness prevention and housing programs make up less than 1% of the total federal budget, so the majority of people in need of housing vouchers or other assistance often go without.
David Phillips, research professor of economics at the University of Notre Dame, where he directs the Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities, said research shows for every dollar invested in homelessness prevention, the public saves more than $2.
“Prevention is kind of like investing in seatbelts. So the idea is, what if we did something that was much less expensive and we got ahead of the problem before somebody experienced all of the trauma of becoming homeless and tried to do something ahead of time,” Phillips outlined.
He noted families may need legal assistance, help catching up on back rent or temporary support through the shock of a job loss or medical emergency.
Still, the core of Destination: Home’s program is rapid financial assistance, which Phillips called a proven and effective way to prevent homelessness at a time when resources in many communities may be limited.
Public News Service is a national newswire with a local focus. Through a network of state-based newswires, PNS reports state-level, public interest news and seeks to help the average American answer the question, “How does this news impact me today?”
