Federal government releases plan to prevent and end homelessness

The new plan aims to reduce homelessness in the U.S. by 25% by 2025.

The White House recently released a federal plan for ending homelessness in the U.S., All-In: The Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness. The ambitious plan seeks to reduce homelessness by 25% by 2025. The plan serves as a roadmap for federal action to provide state and local communities with the resources and guidance needed to reduce homelessness.

The U.S Interagency Council on Homelessness will host an overview webinar on Jan. 10 for anyone interested in learning more about the plan.

The plan also details a new initiative between the White House and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness which will work with a cohort of cities and states to provide full-time federal assistance, regulatory relief, technical support, and volunteer support. The League of California Cities will share more information about this initiative as it becomes available.

The release of the action plan comes on the heels of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report Part 1 to Congress. The report is the first complete, single-night count of people experiencing homelessness since the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the report, California is home to an estimated 171,521 people experiencing homelessness as of January 2022, representing 30% of the nation’s total homeless population. California also experienced a 6.2% increase in homelessness — the largest increase from 2020-22 — with 9,973 more people experiencing homelessness.

This groundbreaking federal plan comes on the heels of Cal Cities' request to the state for ongoing funding for local governments to address homelessness and housing. The $3 billion investment from the state would spur much-needed housing construction, ensure that Californians experiencing homelessness get the support they need, and prevent thousands more from losing their homes.