Imagine finding a program in the district that finds housing for homeless people who have mental issues. I found this in Pathways.

This discovery has changed my opinion about nonprofit organizations. My past opinion was that nonprofit organizations were designed for failure, simply taking money from the government in order to benefit from other people’s misfortune.

Pathways is not like that at all.

I had interviewed Pathways executive director, Linda Kaufmann, in December 2006 and she explained the program to me. She said that Pathways makes it possible for homeless people with mental illness to find housing, and Pathways continues to monitor these people while they are in housing to make sure they succeed. Kaufmann added that the organizations primary goal is getting homeless people housing and they work to achieve this before taking care of any other issues.

Pathways has been in Washington, D.C. for thee years and has housed 105 people - less than 10% become homeless again. This means 90% persistently maintain housing after obtaining it, regardless of the length of previous chronic homelessness.

Unfortunately, Kaufmann said that Pathways is out of funding so they are not currently taking applications. It is amazing how when a program works the government cuts off funding as if they do not want it to succeed.

Originally, Pathways started in New York about 20 years ago. The founders realized that the majority of the programs ask homeless individuals to jump through hoops of some sort in order to become eligible for a program. Most programs are not just out to help the homeless. Rather, it seems there is always a technicality involved that makes many people ineligible.

The lack of funding at Pathways follows with the current system, where Washington, D.C. is not interested in solving the homeless problem because it would not be in the city’s best interest. There is so much money generated off of the homeless that providing housing to everyone would lower the city’s money supply.

Personally, I know seven people that Pathways has helped find housing. Once I found out the organization a few months ago, I ran to its location. But Pathways was out of funding.

Even though I am disappointed that Pathways could not help me immediately, I know that it has helped others so I give Pathways high scores for the neighborhood.

Pathways’ record of housing the homeless is sure to set the standard in 2007.