Dangerous Policies That Will Make Homelessness Worse

Right now, dangerous federal policy changes could make homelessness in America dramatically worse. Instead of working together to prevent and solve homelessness, we’re now spending enormous energy fighting ideology and policies that experts warn will only push more people onto the streets. In this episode, I sit down with Ann Oliva, CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, to explain what’s happening right now inside the federal government and why the homelessness sector is deeply alarmed. Since the Trump administration took office, new executive orders and federal directives have targeted core homelessness policies. These changes are being implemented through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and could roll back evidence-based approaches like Housing First while expanding policies like criminalization, forced institutionalization, and arrests of people living outside. Even more alarming, some proposed funding changes could cut housing support for people who were previously homeless and are now stably housed — potentially pushing as many as 170,000 people back onto the streets. Instead of helping communities solve homelessness, these policies could make the crisis worse in cities and neighborhoods across America. That’s why the National Alliance to End Homelessness and other organizations have taken the extraordinary step of filing lawsuits against HUD to stop policies they believe are unlawful and dangerous. This conversation breaks down what’s actually happening behind the headlines — and why the stakes are so high. In this episode, we discuss: • The Trump administration’s homelessness policies • Dangerous changes at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) • The rollback of Housing First • LGBTQ homelessness • Criminalization of homelessness and arrests of people living outside • Lawsuits filed to stop harmful federal policies • Harm reduction and why forced treatment does not work • Why these policies will make homelessness worse for everyone At the end of the day, homelessness is a complex problem that requires communities, nonprofits, healthcare providers, and government to work together. Instead, we’re fighting each other. And that’s not just tragic — it’s dangerous. Because policies that make homelessness worse don’t just hurt people experiencing homelessness. They hurt our communities, our cities, and all of us. Support NAEH here https://endhomelessness.org More: Fined. Arrested. Still Nowhere to Live. https://youtu.be/yZg14Ln3hGw?si=susnlpsJBlkjqony From Encampments to Homes: How Dallas Is Solving Homelessness https://youtu.be/iG4afD_ycLk?si=okmsawCiA-jK1fQl Housing First Didn’t Fail. We Did. https://youtu.be/Xrpi8_mbt0I?si=ce_tVVzErxv2qWSh Can We End Homelessness? Hennepin County Shows How https://youtu.be/yq1C8l4uSZc?si=SGd4YPOGhe-6s_JD 00:00:00 Unprecedented Litigation Against Trump-Era Homelessness Policies 00:06:11 HUD’s Attack on Housing First and the Push to Criminalize Homelessness 00:11:50 The Moral Crisis of Fighting Ideology Instead of Helping People 00:20:00 Why NAEH Is Suing Housing and Urban Development 00:27:57 Why Forced Treatment Fails for Homelessness and Addiction 00:32:02 LGBTQ Homeless Youth, Shelter Discrimination, and Real Harm 00:38:26 Building a Stronger Homelessness Movement Through Crisis 00:40:16 What the Homelessness Sector Needs to Fix 00:43:03 National Alliance to End Homelessness Mission and Advocacy Executive producer: Mark Horvath Producer/editor/cinematographer: Alex Gasaway https://www.youtube.com/alexgasaway Associate producer: Erin McGinnis Created by: Alex Gasaway and Erin McGinnis YouTube Podcast https://shorturl.at/XciIu Apple Podcast https://apple.co/4cckQ86 Spotify https://spoti.fi/3XyM98c ================================== Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/c/invisiblepeople?sub_confirmation=1 Invisible People’s website: http://invisiblepeople.tv Support Invisible People: https://invisiblepeople.tv/donate Sign up for our newsletter: https://invisiblepeople.tv/email Invisible People’s Social Media: https://www.youtube.com/invisiblepeople https://twitter.com/invisiblepeople https://www.instagram.com/invisiblepeople https://www.facebook.com/invisiblepeopletv https://www.tiktok.com/@invisiblepeopletv About Invisible People We imagine a world where everyone has a place to call home. Each day, we work to fight homelessness by giving it a face while educating individuals about the systemic issues that contribute to its existence. Through storytelling, education, news, and activism, we are changing the narrative on homelessness.