Thom Nees, executive director of the Common Ground Community Housing Trust, has a plan to address the ongoing problem of the lack of affordable housing in Chelan and Douglas counties.

Homelessness is an American tragedy, but it’s not hopeless. In a recent column, we explored how Houston has become a national model by reducing homelessness by more than 60 percent.

Local headlines around homelessness recently have been even bleaker than usual – and that’s saying a lot.