This thesis examines a homeless social policy, entitled Rebuilding Lives: A New Strategy to House Homeless Men that aims to end the cycle of homelessness for men in Columbus, OH. Unlike other communities, Columbus adopted a policy to end male homelessness that focuses on the structural causes of homelessness and, subsequently, recommends structural solutions to the problem of homelessness. The ideologies operating within this policy conflict, however, with dominant discourses on poverty (including liberalism and paternalism) that focus on the individual causes of and solutions to social problems. Despite this conflict, Rebuilding Lives was approved by the City of Columbus, Franklin County Commissioners, local business leaders, and members of the affected communities. This thesis focuses on the rhetorical strategies used by policy¬makers to gain their support. I argue that the rhetorical success of Rebuilding Lives lies in its ability to reflect audience concerns; its use of appeals to reason and logic, as well as emotions; and its strategic use of language. By focusing on issues related to gender, race, and class, I examine the implications of these strategies for other progressive policy¬makers, including feminist policy-makers.