Besides housing and empathy, hackaton and 3-D printing were suggested as solutions to homelessness during an event at the University of Southern California. The event had social workers, community leaders, and tech experts said new policies and initiatives from the state, county, and city government is needed to end homelessness.

During the event on Wednesday, USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Scoail Work dean Marilyn L. Flynn said the playing field is perfect for making things better for everyone living in LA County, USC News reported. The USC forum was titled "Wild Ideas and Innovations: A Radical Conversation About Homelessness." USC Suzanne Dworak=Peck School of Social Work psychologist and lecturer Gabriel Crenshaw said more than 25 percent of homeless people have mental illness, and the solution is housing, as well as empathy.

Flynn also brought up the idea of building houses using 3-D printers. Meanwhile, SoCapTech CEO Ellen Sloan suggested that they conduct a hackathon focused on homelessness. Sloan believes that nonprofits should adapt the technological advancements, especially the power of smartphones, collect information and making processes easier for homeless people who need help the most.

The "Wild Ideas" forum is apart of USC's effort to eradicate homelessness. It involves research and coordination with community-based organizations. A team of USC experts is now analyzing information from the 2017 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count, and is also working with the Los Angeles Homeless Services authority.

This forum aims to come up with alternative that costs less and are more efficient in ending homelessness. LA Country's homeless initiative director Phil Ansell announced an unprecedented commitment from the city and county of Los Angeles to invest $737 million in the next fiscal year to end homelessness, SCPR reported. United Way of Greater Los Angeles director of homeless initiatives Chris Ko said the public demand a visible change from homelessness.

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