Introduction

Community Solutions is a nonprofit founded in 2011 by Rosanne Haggerty, with the ambitious goal of ending chronic homelessness in America. Its “Built for Zero” methodology takes a public health approach, helping communities across the U.S. use better data collection and outreach to improve government processes and piecemeal solutions.

In 2021, Community Solutions was awarded a $100 million grant from the MacArthur Foundation, and Haggerty and her team had to decide how to prioritize projects and spending to maximize the grant’s impact. For instance, should they continue to focus on unhoused veterans or expand their work to include families and youth in need of housing?

Harvard Business School senior lecturer Brian Trelstad discusses Haggerty’s approach in his case, Community Solutions.