Since 2023, homelessness has surged 18.1%, the highest level ever recorded. Why?
The culprit is a decade-long federal mandate that scrapped funding for treatment services, transitional housing, and many shelters—Housing First—in favor of increasing the number of life-long, permanent housing subsidies with no requirements, mental health care, or work… ever. They promised this approach would end homelessness in 10 years.
The reality:
A 34% increase in homelessness nationwide
A 77% rise in homeless death rates
California—where Housing First became state law in 2016—saw a
40% increase in homelessness
A long-term Boston study found that within seven years, fewer than 4 in 10 given “no-strings” housing were still alive and housed
Nonprofits had to comply or lose funding.
A Turning Point
In July 2025, a landmark Presidential Order broke Housing First’s grip on federal policy. The new course: prioritize mental health and addiction recovery, restore public safety, and demand accountability at every level.
This shift sees the whole person—not just the absence of housing—and directs federal dollars to programs that help the homeless heal, grown, and thrive.
Free Up stands ready to help communities build such systems—restoring lives, strengthening communities, and creating lasting change.