The number of homeless people in Charlotte and America is increasing at an incredible rate. Our local government is under great pressure to find a solution to this community problem, as it should. There are currently 2,400 people living permanently on the streets (Homeless Research Institute). Charlotte officials must come up with innovative and creative plans to address this problem. It's not enough to simply get people out of homelessness, we need to stop them from falling into it in the first place. A focus on prevention is essential in the effort to end homelessness. These efforts should target people who are at the highest risk of becoming homeless. There needs to be programs implemented in high-risk communities that give those who are at greatest risk of becoming homeless financial assistance to keep their homes. It is also necessary for there to be a single access point capable of providing information and guidance to citizens at risk. Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness is a call to action for the federal government and the nation as a whole to come together and collaborate on a plan that will organize and distribute the resources needed to address homelessness residence (USICH). This collaboration will in turn lead to a better understanding of the causes and consequences of homelessness and the most effective ways to prevent it. Increasing access to stable, affordable housing is critical in combating homelessness locally and nationally. While Housing and Urban Development, Section 8, Welfare, State Rental Assistance, and Charlotte's Shelter Plus (HUD) assistance program already exist, many of them have prerequisites and requirements that exclude a large... ...half of paper...to make sure they are placing their inhibitors in permanent housing rather than having the homeless people in these shelters use them as a permanent place to live. By implementing a priority housing model, people in these shelters will be moved more quickly into permanent housing, which will allow more homeless people to enter as the formerly homeless move out. A large percentage of the homeless population is made up of those who are re-entering society from the corrections system. It is often more difficult for them to find work and housing. One in five people who leave prison become homeless (National Alliance to End Homelessness). One effective way to address this issue is to implement “reentry housing” in Charlotte. According to the Corporation for Supportive Housing, a single reentry housing unit can save $20,000 to $24,000 compared to the cost of release to a shelter and re-incarceration.