Breaking Down the Political and Bureaucratic Barriers

Establishing relationships on both sides of the aisle and everything in between.

Let me make it clear though: without the government's involvement and the bureaucracy, we would have nothing to work with. It is an important yet flawed process that needs to be worked through carefully and meticulously.

Homelessness is and should always be a nonpartisan issue. Strengthening relationships with key elected officials is key in the mission to end homelessness.

I consider those who we know as “bureaucrats” as being strategic partners. I utilize them and make friendships and create colleagues in a way that is not the norm. What I mean by that, is that the bureaucracy is a necessary evil.

In a perfect world, funding from private foundations and philanthropic support of the mission to end homelessness would be enough. However, in order to establish sustainable funding for development, advocacy is important in that these elected officials will be the names and faces that carry your mission to the public sector.

Grassroots programs often lack the skills, tenacity and temerity needed to navigate the deep political waters that contain the coffers where grants and other funding dollars lie.

I have given this quite a bit of thought in fact. The bureaucracy is an integral part of any government on the planet. When it comes to the homeless and homelessness, the bureaucracy plays a major part in every aspect of decision making, from funding to citizen input to elected officials' next elections, and a myriad of other things that intersect in an already confusing and dysfunctional social dilemma.

Understanding the political process outweighs partisan issues. Whatever you do with the governmental process, make sure that you plug in and try and keep your organization in first place in terms of connectivity and in terms of making sure that things get done in an orderly fashion.

Understanding at what level(s) city, county, state and federal support of your mission is funded will most likely garner the desired outcome.

Be careful!