The Coalition for the Homeless is the nation’s oldest advocacy and direct service organization helping individuals and families. We believe that affordable housing, sufficient food, and the chance to work for a living wage are fundamental rights in a civilized society. Since our inception in 1981, the Coalition has worked through litigation, public education, and direct services to ensure that these goals are realized. Every day, the Coalition for the Homeless helps more than 3,500 people who are suffering in extreme poverty, and in its 40-year history, has given more than 1 million people a way off the streets.