The Depaul Group’s strategic partnerships were born out of our shared values and commitment to end homelessness and change the lives of those affected by it.
The Ruff Institute of Global Homelessness (IGH).
The IGH focuses on ending homelessness globally by bridging research, policy, and practice. They advocate for international homelessness policy focused on definition and measurement, partner with cities and countries eager to take concrete action to solve the problem and connect with others to coalesce the global movement. The IGH was co-founded by Depaul International and DePaul University in 2014. Since then, the IGH has become a founding member of the first United Nations Working Group to End Homelessness and developed a formal partnership with the UN’s Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) to raise awareness of, and implement solutions to, global homelessness.
Working in close collaboration with these partners, IGH has delivered three United Nations resolutions on homelessness, the first-ever Secretary-General report on homelessness, suggested homelessness related indicators for inclusion within the SDG framework, established the Global Homeless Data Initiative, and launched the International Mayors’ Council on Homelessness.
The Famvin Homeless Alliance (FHA):
Depaul International also manages the Famvin Homeless Alliance (FHA), a ground-breaking initiative fostering collaboration and capacity-building across more than 70 countries. Commissioned by the Vincentian Family in 2017, the FHA’s 13 Houses Campaign, which develops housing for those experiencing homelessness, has housed over 10,500 people since it was launched in 2018.
Global advocacy:
Our unique group structure and unrivalled global expertise gives us the opportunity to change perceptions at every level from the UN through to grassroots. Depaul International has worked closely with the IGH and FHA to develop an ambitious global to local advocacy strategy to accelerate our work within the UN ecosystem, place housing and homelessness on international development agendas, leverage appropriate international funding, and provide local actors with tools to advocate for change.
