Biden Administration Announces Plan To Reduce Homelessness 25% By 2025

The Biden Administration has announced an ambitious plan to reduce homelessness in the United States by 25 percent by 2025.

The “All In: The Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness” aims to prevent people from becoming homeless, address inequities that disproportionately impact underserved communities, including people of color and other marginalized groups, and help cities and states reduce unsheltered homelessness.

To reach that goal, the plan outlines new strategies to prevent homelessness and increase the supply of housing with supportive services.

President Joe Biden called on state and local governments to set their own goals for 2025 and to use the federal plan as a blueprint for addressing homelessness in their communities. “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. It is a plan that is grounded in the best evidence and aims to improve equity and strengthen collaboration at all levels.”

According to the new data released by the Department of Housing and Urban Development between 2016 and the beginning of the pandemic, the number of people experiencing homelessness in the country increased 6 percent. 582,462 people were experiencing homelessness on a single night in January 2022.

The number of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness, including people living in cars and tents, rose 3 percent.

Since the national eviction moratorium was in place until August 2021 and due to support from the American Rescue Plan, evictions were prevented and many vulnerable families were able to stay in their homes, the White House said.

The White House and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) are announcing a new initiative partnering with state and local governments to improve and accelerate their efforts to get people off the streets and into homes. Nineteen federal agencies commit to accelerate implementation of effective state and local strategies that target unsheltered homelessness.

Early next year, the White House and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness will begin working with a number of cities and states that will receive full-time federal assistance, maximum flexibility and regulatory relief, and technical support and additional capacity.

USICH will lead implementation of the overall initiative and will establish a Federal Response Leadership Team to coordinate the overall response, develop tools and guidance, track progress and report to its Council leadership, and elevate issues that cannot be resolved.

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