The extent to which countries organize work around ending homelessness varies. Many places have homelessness and housing plans for large cities and hubs, but lack a broader unified, national strategy. Other countries draft national homelessness strategies to guide the work but never ratify them. However, the support of national policies and federal funding allow local actors to improve service delivery systems, strengthen data management systems, and broaden continuums of care.

This kind of multi-sector cooperation take can different forms, regardless of whether a country adopts a national strategy, but an overarching plan can help unify, motivate, and hold local actors accountable.