"Now the Trump administration is trying to scrap it. In late July, the president issued an executive order directing federal agencies to stop funding Housing First programs, calling them a failure and turning a California mandate into a liability. The order is the culmination of a backlash that's been brewing for years - both in California and across the country - as the number of people on the streets keeps ticking up even as the spending on homelessness grows."
"The debate over Housing First hinges on a clash over both causes and solutions. Is homelessness the result of rampant drug use and untreated mental illness, or of deeper structural forces like sky-high rents, poverty and racism? Should housing be used as a reward for sobriety and treatment, or provided first, as the foundation for recovery? And, perhaps more fundamentally, should housing be a human right?"
California prioritized Housing First, placing people into permanent housing with minimal barriers and codified the approach for state-funded programs in 2016. For two decades Housing First shaped the federal response to homelessness. In late July, President Trump issued an executive order directing federal agencies to stop funding Housing First programs, calling them failures and turning the California mandate into a liability. The measure reflects a growing backlash as street homelessness rises despite increased spending. Debate centers on whether homelessness stems mainly from addiction and untreated mental illness or from structural factors like high rents, poverty, and racism. Local officials await guidance on federal funding changes.
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