The National Law Center On Homelessness and Poverty

The National Law Center On Homelessness And Poverty

The National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty (NLCHP) was founded in 1989 by Maria Foscarinis as a non-profit corporation based in Washington, D.C. It is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal revenue Code, and contributions to it are tax deductible. The organization is governed by a 16 member volunteer Board of Directors, and works with other national and local organizations across the country.

The mission of NLCHP is to prevent and end homelessness by serving as the legal arm of the nationwide movement to end homelessness. Through a combination of impact litigation, policy advocacy, and public education, NLCHP works for systematic reform that addresses the causes of homelessness at the local, state, and national level. NLCHP views homelessness as an extreme form of poverty, caused primarily by a shortage of affordable housing, insufficient income, and inadequate social services. NLCHP is the only national legal advocacy organization dedicated solely to preventing and ending homelessness.

NLCHP’s programs focus on reforming systems that contribute to and cause homelessness, while also working to make a concrete difference in the lives of millions.

The organization’s programs include:

• Assuring that homeless children are able to go to school
• Preventing domestic violence survivors from becoming homeless
• Assisting impoverished families when they are homeless due to a natural disaster
• Holding the U.S. government accountable until the human right to housing is a reality for all
• Protecting homeless individuals from discrimination
• Creating homes and communities for homeless people from unused government property