Biden eyes 25 percent reduction in homelessness in three years

The Biden administration on Monday released a government-wide plan aimed at cutting homelessness in the country by 25 percent by 2025.
The plan, called All In, focuses on finding housing for people without it and providing resources to keep them housed. It is based on input from more than 500 people who have experienced homelessness, advocates, community leaders and developers, as well as listening sessions hosted by the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH).
Among the key suggestions were to address the basic needs of people who are homeless, expand the supply of affordable housing and address root causes that lead people to lose their homes in the first place.
“My plan offers a roadmap for not only getting people into housing but also ensuring that they have access to the support, services, and income that allow them to thrive,” President Biden said in a statement. “It is a plan that is grounded in the best evidence and aims to improve equity and strengthen collaboration at all levels.”
The administration’s All In strategy is based on efforts during the Obama administration that led to a drop in homelessness between 2010 and 2016, though the White House said there has been an uptick in homelessness in the years since.
The White House pointed to efforts like the eviction moratorium during the pandemic, which Biden extended through August 2021, as a measure that helped alleviate some of the homelessness crisis.
The strategy outlined Monday will seek to increase the supply of housing with supportive services, and the White House and USICH will partner with state and local governments to implement effective strategies to end homelessness, the administration said.
“HUD and everyone in the Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring every person has a safe, stable place to call home. Data shows that homelessness remains a national crisis, but it also shows that the historic investments this Administration has made to address this issue, can work,” Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge said in a statement. “The Biden-Harris Administration is working to significantly reduce homelessness across the country and combat the racial and ethnic disparities resulting from systemic racism.”
Monday’s announcement builds on one from September 2021, when the White House unveiled the House America initiative that called on city, county, state and tribal government leaders throughout the country to publicly vow to decrease homelessness in their areas. The program also used money from the American Rescue Plan, passed in 2021, to aid state and local governments fighting homelessness.
Updated at 4:47 p.m.
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