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National Alliance to End Homelessness Applauds Progress on HUD’s “House America” Goals

Written by NAEH January 26, 2023

The National Alliance to End Homelessness today expressed its support and congratulations to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, and the 105 communities that have met and exceeded the goals of the House America initiative. To date, more than 100,000 households have been rehoused, and 40,000 units of affordable housing have been put in development thanks to this effort.

“Housing ends homelessness, and the House America initiative shows what can be accomplished when our federal, state, and local leaders commit to bold goals, best practices, and partnership with the frontline experts to provide the resources, support, and leadership to meet them,” said Steve Berg, Chief Policy Officer of the National Alliance to End Homelessness. “This progress, combined with recently announced reductions in veteran, family, and youth homelessness, makes it clear that Housing First approaches can and do end people’s homelessness every single day in this nation.”

Despite the positive news, many leaders continue to struggle with rising homelessness in their communities. Berg says that today’s announcement should remind them, and members of Congress who control funding for homelessness and affordable housing, what can be accomplished if they remain faithful to proven approaches and avoid “quick fix” tactics that are known to be harmful and counterproductive.

“This progress wasn’t accomplished with encampment sweeps or criminalization tactics,” Berg continued. “It was the result of a focus on housing as the foundation for ending homelessness and for connecting people with the supportive services they may need, such as treatment for addiction and serious mental illness. The Alliance encourages Congress to recognize the opportunity to increase funding in proven affordable housing and homelessness programs so that our nation can sustain and build upon this incredible progress.”