Ending Homelessness: Why Aren't We There Yet? | Don Burnes | TEDxRiNo

Don Burnes provides a national perspective on our failure to end homelessness. He cites evidence about this failure and articulates several important suggestions for improving the way in which we address this major social problem. An overarching requirement is to change public attitudes about those persons experiencing homelessness. Creating better understanding and more compassion will lead to a stronger public demand for improved housing and services. Don Burnes is currently the Chair, Board of Directors, for The Burnes Center on Poverty and Homelessness at the Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Denver where he is also an Adjunct Professor and a Scholar in Residence. He is the Co-editor of and a contributing author to a new book on homelessness, Ending Homelessness: Why We haven’t, How We Can. A local philanthropist concerned with the issues of homelessness and housing, he serves on the State Interagency Advisory Group on Homelessness for Governor Hickenlooper and served in a similar position for Governor Bill Ritter. He is a member of Denver’s Road Home Commission and the Colorado Housing and Homelessness Funders Collaborative. Don has also been an executive director for various nonprofits, a historian, a researcher and educational policy consultant for the US Congress, a prolific writer, a philanthropic consultant, and active in the faith-based policy community around issues of homelessness and poverty. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx