Brad Riley, senior research associate for the Center for Intergovernmental Partnerships at the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) and MPPA alumni, recently published a new study in Public Administration Review titled, "Reducing homelessness: An intergovernmental challenge." In the article, Riley and coauthors outline five tasks that occur at the local level that contribute to effective initiatives: 1) Defining, committing to, and communicating the challenge of homelessness, allowing for agreement on shared objectives and a coordinated strategy, 2) Building a network to coordinate and synchronize the contributions of each partner, 3) Designing and delivering timely integrated services to individuals experiencing homelessness by aligning federal and state programs to the local context, 4) Collecting, using, and sharing data to inform planning and targeted delivery of assistance to persons experiencing homelessness, and 5) Building or strengthening governance and financing structures that support continued action and learning to sustain and improve local efforts over time.
When asked about the report, Riley stated, "This research is the culmination of two years of work by nearly two dozen academics and public and nonprofit practitioners from universities, as well as state and local governments across the country. Together, we organized convenings with nonprofit, state, and local stakeholders to examine intergovernmental barriers and identify solutions to reduce homelessness in the United States."
In addition to his work at NAPA, Riley serves as a City Council Member At-Large in Easthampton, MA and is a board member at the Massachusetts Municipal Association and Tapestry Health.