In 1983 Chris Sprowal, Tex Howard, and Franklyn Smith founded Committee for Dignity and Fairness for the Homeless in Philadelphia.
The offensive included organizing drives of the locals across the country, civil disobedience actions, and tribunals for community leaders about the vicious cycle for people living on the streets.
However, one of the funders of the march, the AFL-CIO, wanted a peaceful and legal event so other three organizations pushed against civil disobedience.
Kemp made significant concessions by promising that 10% of HUD's vacant housing stock would be turned over to homeless people in the coming year.
Kemp ultimately broke his promise, and in response, poor and homeless cities began breaking in and taking over these HUD homes.
In May 1990 NUH coordinated takeovers of empty, federally owned houses in New York, Minneapolis, Detroit, Los Angeles, Tucson, Oakland, Chicago and Philadelphia.
In December, HUD relented agreeing to release 123 vouchers in return for the squatters leaving the HUD-owned homes.