The University of Pennsylvania will be the site for a two-day “International Homelessness Research Conference: Advancing the Policy and Practice of Crisis Response Systems” on June 3-4. It is set for 8 a.m.–5:30 p.m. in Houston Hall, 3417 Spruce St. and is being hosted by the Dana and Andrew Stone Endowed Chair in Social Policy at Penn and the National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Designed to showcase the latest research in advancing the policy and practice of homeless crisis-response systems, the conference will draw attendees and presenters from the United States, Australia, Canada and Europe.  It will feature international perspectives on homeless prevention, outreach, housing programs and the effectiveness of new interventions.

Shaun Donovan, secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, will deliver the keynote address.

Dennis Culhane, a professor in Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice and research director for the VA’s National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans, is the organizer.  He said the conference will create connections among researchers, policy makers and practitioners from around the globe.

“Internationally, we’ve been collaborating on many important innovations to address homelessness, including efforts at prevention and ‘housing-first’ strategies for people who experience long-term homelessness.  This conference will enable us to share the results of those efforts with each other and with a larger audience,” Culhane said.

The conference is free for conference committee members, Veterans Affairs employees and faculty and staff at the School of Social Policy & Practice.

It is co-sponsored by the European Observatory on Homelessness, the Canadian Homelessness Research Network and the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute.