Winnipeg's mayor is&nbsp;in Houston,&nbsp;hoping to learn from the Texas city's experience in dealing with homelessness.

Scott Gillingham, along with his chief of staff, Destiny Watt, and 

, flew to the southern U.S. state on Sunday and return Wednesday.

While there, he has met with Mayor Sylvester Turner and Marc Eichenbaum, Turner's special assistant on homelessness initiatives.

Gillingham said by using a housing-first approach, Houston has been able to house nearly 30,000 homeless people since 2012.

Although he's not looking to replicate the Houston model entirely in Winnipeg, Gillingham said he was attracted to the city because it uses a single plan to co-ordinate its efforts with other levels of government.&nbsp;

Great opportunity to meet with Mayor <a href="https://twitter.com/SylvesterTurner?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SylvesterTurner</a> and officials from Houston this week to learn about the success they’ve had moving 30,000 people off the streets and into housing. <a href="https://t.co/h3VI6zdlcO">pic.twitter.com/h3VI6zdlcO</a>

"All parties that are part of the plan share data …&nbsp;with one another, and decisions are made based on what the data&nbsp;is saying," he said in a phone interview with reporters on Tuesday.

The Houston model also involves significant public-private partnerships, as well as a "continuum of care" for people needing housing, Gillingham said.

What can Winnipeg learn from how other places are reducing homelessness?

With thousands now estimated to be experiencing homelessness in Winnipeg, one expert says the answer could be a strategy the government has since "pumped the brakes" on.

People gather their belongings in a downtown Winnipeg bus shelter.

Homeless People in bus shelter in severe cold temps

People gather their belongings in a downtown Winnipeg bus shelter. Cities around the world have taken what's called a housing first approach to ending homelessness, where people get into a home first then get connected with the services they need.

Housing first model good for landlords, essential for vulnerable people, homelessness conference hears

A national conference on homelessness in Canada will hear Thursday about a way to find housing for homeless people and provide a reliable source of income for private landlords.

The city's Shelter, Support and Housing Administration is hoping to double the capacity of Toronto's winter drop-in shelters.

Homeless in Toronto

Housing first can benefit both vulnerable people and landlords, attendees will hear at the National Conference on Ending Homelessness will hear Thursday.

 to end chronic homelessness if elected in 

 to end homelessness, while&nbsp;the Liberals have 

pledged to end homelessness in Manitoba by 2025

 by&nbsp;providing 10,000 same-day housing units for people who are homeless.

 their&nbsp;homelessness strategy included $58 million to build 700 new units of social housing this year.

Mayor Scott Gillingham, second from left, flew to Houston to meet with Mayor Sylvester Turner, second from right, to learn about the Texas city's efforts to reduce homelessness. Gillingham was joined by his chief of staff Destiny Watt, right, and senior advisor on homelessness, Jared Baker, left.

Winnipeg mayor hopes Houston holds homelessness answers

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