Dr. Sam Sembares, clinical community psychologist and CEO of the Pathways Housing First Institute, told the Nashville symposium that Housing First principles — rapid access to housing combined with support services — should guide local strategy and that communities must prioritize the most vulnerable.

Sembares opened with a broader political framing and then offered a four‑step plan: prioritize people in the most acute need (those whose survival is at immediate risk), expand consensus across sectors so police, health systems, courts, hospitals, businesses and faith organizations act from a common “compass,” use measurable goals and shared data to track progress, and secure the resources required for scale.

Sembares said a localized approach is necessary when federal support is uncertain. He urged Nashville to consider creating municipal or state‑level housing vouchers if federal vouchers are constrained. “What other cities and other states have done is they have created their own local housing voucher,” he said, citing examples including Washington, D.C., and some jurisdictions in Georgia and North Carolina where local vouchers were raised through dedicated local revenue sources.

On outreach and responsiveness, Sembares recommended a centralized rapid‑response number and teams that can deploy the same day. “We need a number where people can call and get a response to, a referral about a homeless person. Not that we'll see you Tuesday, but someone from the business community is calling this morning. Someone needs to be there by noon. It needs to be, not as a 9‑1‑1, but as a 7‑1‑1,” he said.

Sembares also addressed landlord engagement, urging indemnity, signing bonuses and housing specialists who manage landlord relationships alongside rent vouchers. He acknowledged limits: for people with severe cognitive or medical needs, supervised living or nursing home placements may be more appropriate than scattered‑site apartments.

Ending: Sembares told attendees that cities that set measurable priorities, broaden the stakeholder table and pair housing with services have achieved sustained reductions in homelessness; he urged Nashville to adopt the same focus.