Source: WSJ

Date Published: 9/3/2025

Link: How Trump Can Get Real About Homelessness

In the context of Trump’s recent approach to homelessness in D.C., policymakers should focus on providing affordable housing over incarceration. In the largest survey conducted of homeless Americans, 89% of people identified high housing costs as the primary reason for not returning to housing once experiencing homelessness. The Urban Institute found that supportive housing that provides mental health services gets people off the street, alleviating pressures on local systems. Furthermore, evidence suggests that using correctional facilities is an expensive solution, averaging $65,000 per prisoner per year or about $18 billion total per year. Additionally, there is little evidence that incarceration effectively alleviates homelessness. Conversely, the U.S. could house the 84% of people who receive no housing interventions due to underfunded systems for HALF the cost at an estimated $9.6 billion. Ultimately, providing housing is not only more effective for mitigating homelessness, but it’s by far more cost efficient.