Don Berwick on Welfare & Poverty

All means all: focus on equality and poverty

But perhaps the biggest surprise of the day came from Berwick, a rookie politician who's advocating for a single-payer health insurance system. Berwick finished just 1 percentage point behind the sitting attorney general. He's not well-known, but he's a rock star in the progressive wing. Berwick's supporters chanted "all means all," a reference to his focus on equality and poverty.

Implement "best practices" to end homelessness

"Best practices" to end homelessness exist, and we should use them. Initiatives like the 100,000 Homes Campaign have demonstrated that ending homelessness is possible. In the last three years this effort has mobilized more than 200 cities and communities across the nation to rapidly identify those who are chronically homeless (those who live on the streets for years at a time) and place them into permanent, supportive housing that provides the health care and counseling services they need. More than 70,000 of these individuals now have homes.

As Governor, I will build upon such efforts and make certain that all homelessness in the state comes to end.