Boston Globe

On behalf of the On Solid Ground coalition, we applaud state Auditor Suzanne M. Bump’s call for addressing root causes and collaborating more across state government to solve our most persistent problems (“To fix DCF, first transform the culture,” Opinion, Sept. 25). As a coalition of advocates and service providers from distinct housing, homelessness, health care, public health, education, workforce development, and domestic violence agencies, we can attest to the disjointedness of policies and practices across systems that can lead families to, or trap them in, homelessness and poverty.

Our white paper, released in February, specifically called on the administration to build a coordinated service delivery system across state agencies and to track progress though the use of data and technology. We remain committed to building bridges and communicating across the silos of nonprofit and advocacy agencies, and urge the Baker-Polito administration to make interagency collaboration a priority.

Rachel Heller Director of public policy Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association Boston

This letter was cosigned by Rebekah Gewirtz, executive director of the Massachusetts Public Health Association; Emily Levine, director of policy and advocacy at Horizons for Homeless Children; and Ruthie Liberman, vice president of public policy at Crittenton Women’s Union.