Tackling Homelessness: Strategies to Reduce Unsheltered Americans

MEMORANDUM Date: February 20, 2023 To: Hector C Lora, Passaic NJ Cc: From: RE: Proposal to decrease homelessness in the United States. The homeless population continues to increase in the United States, making it a public health issue for decades. As of December 2022, the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Department performed a comprehensive Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) in two years and found that nearly 600,000 United States citizens are experiencing homelessness every night, and the number increased rapidly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Homeless people include people of every gender, race, or ethnic group. The current policy on homelessness is still under exploration, and more reforms are taking place periodically. Through an evidence-based approach, the federal government has identified homelessness as harming urban, suburban, and rural communities. The policies enacted by the federal government face the adversity of a housing shortage and rising rent. Some of the current policies include: (1) federal funding for homelessness programs, in which HUD awards Homeless Assistance Grants to communities that offer homeless services at a local level. (2) Federal spending on Affordable housing through programs such as Tenant-Based Rental Assi