U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) Director Jeff Olivet released a statement on December 15 summarizing the historic actions taken by the Biden-Harris administration in 2023 to prevent and end homelessness. The summary organizes the federal actions and investments according to the solutions outlined in All In: The Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness, the Biden-Harris administration’s comprehensive and ambitious plan to reduce homelessness by 25% by 2025 and set our nation on a path to ending homelessness. All In recommits the federal government to the proven, effective strategy of Housing First and to directly addressing the racial inequities that contribute to homelessness (Memo, 12/19/22).
USICH highlights how the administration launched the ALL INside initiative to address unsheltered homelessness and invested nearly half a billion dollars to address unsheltered and rural homelessness. In 2023, HUD helped more than 424,000 households exit or avoid homelessness, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs surpassed its goal to rehouse more than 38,000 veterans experiencing homelessness year. This year, the administration improved Medicaid to allow more states to use waivers to pay for housing and wraparound supports, and HUD and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services launched the Housing and Services Partnership Accelerator to help states improve collaboration and leverage new funding and flexibilities. In November, USICH published From Evidence to Action – the first federal homelessness research agenda in more than a decade – to expand the evidence base for homelessness solutions, including Housing First, diversion, and guaranteed basic income. USICH also notes that the country is on track to build more apartments in 2023 than any other year on record, largely due to the White House’s Housing Supply Action.
Director Olivet’s statement emphasizes that homelessness is preventable and solvable – that homelessness is a policy choice. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. chose to invest in housing, health care, and income supports to keep families in their homes. As a result of the historic resources provided in the “American Rescue Plan Act,” between 2020 and 2022, the U.S. prevented the continuation of a rise in homelessness that began in 2017. Some of the recent progress, however, is being undone due to pandemic-era protections and resources having expired.
“Homelessness is a human issue – not a partisan one. That’s why USICH’s plan calls on all parts of the federal government, as well as mayors, landlords, developers, and everyone involved to make the choice to help us build a future where no one experiences the tragedy of homelessness and everyone has a safe and affordable home,” stated Director Olivet.
Read the full list of the Biden-Harris administration’s 2023 investments at: https://tinyurl.com/3narfmbu