The University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Center on Children, Families and the Law is joining Right at Home, a national initiative to stop homelessness before it starts.
As one of 10 partner communities, the center will work with Destination: Home and a coalition of national organizations to build a Nebraska homelessness prevention system modeled on Destination: Home’s nationally recognized approach.
The model combines flexible financial assistance with personalized case management to help families resolve short-term housing crises before they lead to homelessness. By intervening early, it helps families avoid the trauma of homelessness while reducing reliance on costly emergency responses such as shelters, crisis healthcare and other public services.
“We are thrilled to welcome Nebraska as the 10th and final site in the Right at Home initiative,” said Jen Loving, CEO of Destination: Home. “Nebraska is exactly the kind of community we want to partner with, with a strong local team that has demonstrated leadership and commitment to addressing homelessness and building a prevention system that supports those most at risk. We look forward to working together to show that we can stop homelessness before it starts and help more families stay right at home.”
The need for prevention has never been greater. Research shows that half of U.S. renters cannot afford their housing costs, leaving millions of households vulnerable to a financial shock that could result in homelessness.
The model has demonstrated lasting impact and strong cost effectiveness. More than 90% of participating households remained stably housed two years after receiving assistance, and a randomized controlled trial conducted by the Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities at the University of Notre Dame found that every $1 invested generated $2.47 in community savings.
The Center on Children, Families and the Law provides planning, development and evaluation of homeless services systems, policies and practices for the City of Lincoln Continuum of Care and the Nebraska Balance of State Continuum of Care.
The center’s Community Services Division will work closely with Lincoln city leaders, state representatives, individuals with lived experience, and public and community partners in the planning and implementation of the Right at Home initiative.
“Right at Home gives Nebraska an extraordinary opportunity to build on existing efforts and develop an evidence-based coordinated homelessness prevention system across the state," said Jeff M. Chambers, senior project director at the Center on Children, Families and the Law. “Through our partnership with Destination: Home and the Right at Home pilot, Nebraska will improve our system’s ability to identify housing instability earlier, intervene before a crisis becomes homelessness, and help more individuals and families remain safely housed. CCFL is proud to join our national, state and local partners in this important endeavor.”
