Homelessness in Rockford, New Jersey

Many people give up on addressing homelessness due to its overwhelming complexity; however, Rockford, New Jersey, adopted a 'housing first' approach that prioritizes getting homeless individuals into homes immediately. By keeping a real-time census and addressing each homeless person's issues individually, the community successfully eliminated veteran and chronic homelessness. This case study highlights that solving macro issues like homelessness often begins with a micro, human-centered approach, where individuals are treated as human beings with specific needs rather than just a part of a large social issue.