The Biden Administration announced on January 31 the appointment of Jeff Olivet as executive director of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH). Mr. Olivet has worked in the areas of homelessness, behavioral health, and public health for over 25 years, co-founding the organization Racial Equity Partners and leading Supporting Partnerships for Anti-Racist Communities (SPARC), a multi-city initiative to address racial inequity in homelessness.
“I believe down to my core that we can end homelessness in America if we come together to scale what is working, eliminate racial disparities, lift the voices of those who have experienced homelessness, and work across sectors to create meaningful upstream solutions,” said Mr. Olivet in a USICH press release. As executive director, Olivet will lead collaboration across 19 federal agencies to develop a strategic plan to prevent and end homelessness in the United States.
In addition to his work advancing racial equity and decriminalizing homelessness, Mr. Olivet has demonstrated a commitment throughout his career to Housing First, a proven model for reducing homelessness that prioritizes finding safe, stable, accessible housing for people experiencing homelessness before addressing other problems, like substance abuse or untreated mental health issues.
NLIHC looks forward to working with Executive Director Olivet in his new role and collaborating with USICH to put the country on a path towards ending homelessness once and for all.
Read USICH’s press release at: https://tinyurl.com/3accfrba