White House Unveils Plan to End Homelessness

The Obama Administration has released an updated strategy to combat homelessness. Drafted by the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), the plan — “Opening Doors: The Federal Strategic Plan to End and Prevent Homelessness” — lays out timetables for ending chronic homelessness among veterans and families and sets a path to ending all types of homelessness. 

The plan, which extends the administration’s mission initiated by the HEARTH Act in 2009, recognizes that homelessness is a symptom of other factors, and aims to provide the housing necessary to put some 2 million Americans back on their feet.

The stated vision of the plan is that “no one should experience homelessness – no one should be without a safe, stable place to call home.”  This vision advances and expands the past administration’s efforts to reduce chronic homelessness, without increasing federal funding.  The strategy frames specific plans for interagency collaboration, and the plan itself was written by a nineteen-agency consortium. 

“We welcome this first-ever, comprehensive federal commitment to end homelessness. The plan has a timeframe and clear, measurable national goals; these will help to drive an organized and committed federal response,” said Nan Roman, President of the National Alliance to End Homelessness.