National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH)

One of the NCH’s main campaigns, Bring America Home NOW, advocates policies to address homelessness such as a government‐controlled single‐payer health care system and forms of universal basic income. Additionally, the campaign claims that “Structural racism and discrimination are root causes of homelessness.” ¹ The campaign also claims to have over 680 partners, including the NAACP, Housing Is A Human Right, Maryland Progressive Democrats of America, the National Organization for Women, and Racial Equity Partners. ^{2 3 4}

As of 2025, NCH claims that half of its board members and ninety percent of its staff have experienced homelessness. ⁵

Background

The National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) is an advocacy group focused on addressing homelessness in the United States. The group claims to advocate for policies that ensure “housing, healthy food, quality health care, education and livable incomes” are basic human rights. Additionally, NCH claims “Structural racism and discrimination are root causes of homelessness.” ¹

Activities

One of the services offered by the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) is its “Lived Experience Training Academy,” an educational program that discusses and comments on the experience of homelessness in the United States by those who were previously homeless. As of 2025, NCH claims that half of its board members and ninety percent of its staff have experienced homelessness. ⁵

NCH organizes additional advocacy campaigns such as the National Solidarity Week campaign, which claims to raise awareness of homelessness through social media and distributing resources. ⁶

Bring America Home NOW

Bring America Home NOW is one of NCH’s main coalitions and pushes for advocating and advancing legislation to address homelessness in six areas: “Housing,” “Health,” “Livable Incomes,” “Education,” “Civil Rights,” and “Racial Equity.” ² Examples of specific policy priorities include a government‐controlled single‐payer health care system, universal basic income policies, the Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency Act (CARE) of 2024 to appropriate $125 billion over 10 years for substance abuse issues, and an “equitable system agency or decision-making, focusing on people of color with lived experience of homelessness.” ^{2 7}

According to its website, the Bring America Home NOW campaign has made several claims such as “homelessness disproportionately impacts people of color,” ³ “LGBTQ people face discrimination and barriers to jobs and housing,” ³ and that “homelessness is inextricably linked to systemic racism.” ³

The coalition claims to have over 680 partner organizations including the NAACP, Housing Is A Human Right, Maryland Progressive Democrats of America, the National Organization for Women, Racial Equity Partners, the Trans Empowerment Project, and Universal Living Wage. ⁴

Additionally, as of 2025, Bring America Home NOW includes a petition on its website for the Supreme Court to “affirm the right to adequate housing” which is sponsored by the Daily Kos Liberation League alongside the National Coalition for the Homeless, Dose of Democracy, CHN Action, Demand Justice, Left Click, Reaching Care, the Trans Empowerment Project, and Native Voters Alliance Nevada. ⁸

Funding

In 2023, the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) reported revenue of $1,754,033, expenses of $1,930,969, and total assets of $431,365. ⁹

In 2023, the New Venture Fund, a nonprofit managed by Arabella Advisors, gave $50,000 to the NCH. ¹⁰

In 2020, the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless gave $100,000 to the NCH. ¹¹

The National Football League Foundation gave $50,000 in 2024 and $50,000 in 2023 to the NCH. ¹²

Leadership

As of 2025, Donald Whitehead was the executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH). Whitehead is also the co-founder of Racial Equity Partners. He has previously worked as the director of communications for Greenpeace Ohio and the executive director of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. He was formerly the president of the board of NCH, a member of the board of directors for Faces and Voices of Recovery, and a board member of the Georgetown Center for Cultural Competency. ^{13 14}

In 2025, Josh Spring was the president of the board of NCH. Spring is also the executive director of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. ^{15 16}