Fix Homelessness | How to rebuild human lives

HUD’s Homelessness Reforms Put Human Lives Ahead of Housing Bureaucracy

_{Michele Steeb
September 29, 2026
5
Homelessness}

On Sept. 16, the First Circuit Court of Appeals cleared the way for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to move forward with desperately needed reforms to the nation’s homelessness system. After months of litigation by the Homeless Industrial Complex to repeatedly block these reforms, the decision allows HUD to redefine success and fund the programs that generate the greatest success in moving the homeless toward recovery, restoration and self-sufficiency. And not a moment too soon. For more than a decade, federal homelessness policy has centered heavily on permanent housing placement, while the measures used to define and count homelessness have often obscured important differences between who is counted as homeless and who is being served through …

HUD Re-Issues New Homeless Grant Criteria, Freeing Cities to Ditch Housing First, Pursue Real Solutions

_{Center on Wealth & Poverty
June 16, 2026
2
Homelessness}

SEATTLE, WA — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently released its 2026 grant criteria for $4 billion in homelessness funding, with a major shift toward treatment, recovery, and renewed self-sufficiency for all who are able. “Federal reforms have finally created space for local leaders to put treatment and recovery back at the center of homelessness policy,” says Discovery Institute President Steve Buri. “Real compassion means helping people reclaim stability and dignity, not leaving them trapped in addiction and illness without a path to restoration.” Discovery Institute has updated its essential policy brief, calling on local governments, Continuums of Care (CoCs), and service agencies to leverage these new federal reforms and …

Whistleblower Faces Retaliation After Sharing Conditions of Supportive Housing

_{Jonathan Choe
October 28, 2026
1
Housing}

“It’s Not Good” A whistleblower who helped expose horrific living conditions inside the Downtown Emergency Service Center’s North Star building in Seattle says he’s now facing retaliation for speaking up. Alex says DESC staff threatened to take away his apartment after I spotlighted the free-for-all drug culture in permanent supportive housing. “A Day in the Life of Alex: Housed and Addicted” Mayor Wilson Sticks by DESC Despite the criticism of DESC and the Housing First model, socialist Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson says this provider will remain a critical part of her new approach to combating the city’s homeless drug crisis. Power, Politics, and Seattle’s Homelessness Machine DESC is one of the largest …

Housed Doesn’t Mean Whole: Julianna’s Story

_{Michele Steeb
October 8, 2026
1
Homelessness}

Housing may put a roof over someone’s head, but it does not single-handedly restore them from drug addiction, mental illness, and other tragic situations that led to homelessness in the first place. This is why measuring success by housing placements is misguided. Senior Fellow Michele Steeb shares Julianna’s inspiring story. …

The Statistical Gimmicks Hiding America’s Homelessness Crisis

_{Center on Wealth & Poverty and Michele Steeb
October 1, 2026
1
Homelessness}

The official U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development homelessness count is 746,000 people. But the real number is closer to 1.5 million. Why the discrepancy? Because for over a decade, HUD has been employing clever gimmicks that exclude hundreds of thousands of people experiencing homelessness from their numbers. Now, HUD is changing course with meaningful reforms. Senior Fellow Michele Steeb explains. Read “HUD’s Homelessness Reforms Put Human Lives Ahead of Housing Bureaucracy” by Michele Steeb …

Jonathan Choe Testifies Before Congressional Subcommittee on Housing First Fraud and Failure

_{Center on Wealth & Poverty
September 17, 2026
3
Homelessness}

Independent journalist and Discovery Institute Senior Fellow Jonathan Choe appeared on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, September 15, to testify before the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE) at the invitation of Chairman Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.). The hearing was titled, “Fixing Fraud and Failure in Federally Funded Homelessness Services.” Several clips and excerpts of Choe’s videos covering the homelessness and drug addiction crisis were also presented to the subcommittee. HUGE DAY: Tuesday afternoon, Republican Representative Tim Burchett invited me to be a witness and speak before a congressional subcommittee on fraud, waste, and abuse in America's federally funded homelessness services. Time was limited so I was unable to finish my… …

We’re Ignoring the Cause of Homelessness, and How to Solve It

_{Michele Steeb
September 16, 2026
5
Homelessness}

Owning a home, or at least having one, has long been considered an essential part of the American dream. But what if Americans judged success not by whether people had housing, but by whether they discovered — or rediscovered — who they were created to become? Imagine the hundreds of thousands of people who could be strengthening cities like New York, Seattle, and Los Angeles had local leaders invested in systems designed to restore lives and cultivate human flourishing, rather than embracing the federal government’s Housing First approach adopted in 2013. Housing First made housing placement the primary intervention and measure of success, while removing expectations for treatment, sobriety, employment or progress toward self-sufficiency. In doing so, it too often …

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Street Report

from Jonathan Choe

Seattle’s Downtown Emergency Service Center Faces Civil Rights Lawsuit

_{Jonathan Choe
October 29, 2026
2
Housing}

Anti-White Work Environment In case you missed it, the notorious Downtown Emergency Service Center(DESC) is facing a civil rights lawsuit for allegedly creating an anti-white work environment. The suit also alleges “BIPOC clients” were given preference for certain shelter and referral placements. Watch “A Day in the Life of Alex: Housed and Addicted” Complaint The complaint was filed on September 28 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington by legal group America First Legal on behalf of plaintiff Lily Schwarz. The named defendants include DESC Executive Director Daniel Malone, Human Resources Director Jerry Brown, Senior Director of Clinical Programs Amy Thompson, Director of Organizational Equity and Inclusion …

Seattle Tiny House Village Opens Amidst Allegations of Drug Use on Premises

_{Jonathan Choe
October 29, 2026
2
Housing}

LIHI Says One Thing, Concerned Neighbors Say Another Bombshell allegations made against taxpayer-funded Low Income Housing Institute in Seattle. Several concerned neighbors say LIHI staff told them dedicated “smoking shacks” would be available for fentanyl use inside a new 90-bed tiny house village called Cloverleaf. Grand Opening During the grand opening tour this week, there was no mention of these so-called supervised drug consumption sites. Gregoire Denies Knowledge One of the biggest funders of this project is Challenge Seattle, a non-profit coalition led by former WA Governor Christine Gregoire who told me she had no idea “smoking shacks” would be on site. The City of Seattle and the Seattle Foundation are also chipping …

Is Service Resistance a Myth? Seattle Mayor Responds

_{Jonathan Choe
October 28, 2026
1
Homelessness}

Recovery Community Pushes Back Downtown Seattle Association CEO Jon Scholes recently triggered major pushback from the recovery community after he claimed service resistant homeless drug addicts were a myth. Critics say that statement is tone deaf and dismissive of reality on the streets. Scholes’ ill advised comment was made during socialist Mayor Katie Wilson’s press conference on her new homelessness strategy. I asked Wilson if she still agreed with Scholes. Here’s what she had to say. NEW: Seattle's recovery community is blasting back after socialist Mayor Katie Wilson unveiled her new homelessness strategy last week. Art Dahlen of Battlefield Addiction says Wilson's plan will fail because she's trying to build her way out of a …

Recovering Drug Addicts Blast Seattle Mayor’s New Homelessness Strategy

_{Jonathan Choe
October 27, 2026
1
Homelessness}

Building Her Way Out of a Fentanyl Crisis Seattle’s recovery community is blasting back after socialist Mayor Katie Wilson unveiled her new homelessness strategy last week. Art Dahlen of Battlefield Addiction says Wilson’s plan will fail because she’s trying to build her way out of a fentanyl crisis instead of focusing on treatment and recovery first. Dahlen says it’s more of the same Housing First policies that have led to disastrous results on the streets. Meanwhile, the fallout continues for Downtown Seattle Association CEO Jon Scholes after he claimed being service resistant is a myth. The recovery community says Scholes’ credibility is shot. NEW: The Downtown Seattle Association’s Jon Scholes has a massive PR crisis on his hands. …

Children Dodge Fentanyl Foil Walking to School in Seattle

_{Jonathan Choe
October 26, 2026
1
Drug Epidemic}

Prioritizing Drug Addiction Over Children What an absolute disgrace and public safety crisis unfolding outside Seattle’s Dr. Jose Rizal Park. I watched more than 20 Beacon Hill International Elementary School kids dodge fentanyl foil and homeless drug addicts as they walked home Monday afternoon. One parent says Seattle Public Schools refuses to provide school buses since they are dealing with a budget crisis. Meanwhile, less than a week after socialist Mayor Katie Wilson announced her new plan to address homelessness, her streets are covered with service resistant drug addicts because they are all refusing shelter and services. According to Jon Scholes CEO of @downtownseattle that’s because the @seattlecaredept didn’t offer the homeless drug addicted …

Another Encampment Sweep in Seattle Only Moves the Problem Around

_{Jonathan Choe
October 21, 2026
1
Homelessness}

The Reality of Service Resistance Mega sweep is about to get underway at Seattle’s Stokes Park. There are more than 30 tents set up across the lawn. Drug activity is out of control. The vast majority of people here say they will simply move down the street to another city park. Meanwhile, socialist Mayor Katie Wilson is holding a press conference Wednesday morning to announce a new approach to solving homelessness by “re-allocating existing resources, drawing upon a nationally recognized framework used successfully in other major cities such as Denver and Houston.” In other words, Wilson is admitting the current plan is not working in her city. …

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Discovery Institute’s Fix Homelessness initiative offers innovative research and compassionate solutions to the growing crisis of homelessness, addiction, and mental illness facing many American cities. Our mission is to serve as a resource for policy leaders, business owners, and neighborhood organizations trying to meaningfully reduce homelessness and to help those suffering realize their full human potential.

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Discovery Institute’s Fix Homelessness Initiative pairs journalism with research on homelessness, addiction, and mental illness. Our mission is to help city leaders, service organizations, and business owners meaningfully reduce homelessness and improve lives.

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National Report

“Housing First” — and often only — has demonstrably failed. Congress and the Executive Branch must shift the focus onto untreated mental illness and substance abuse to reduce homelessness, drug overdoses, jail overcrowding, and misuse of emergency rooms. Herein we make policy recommendations to Congress to truly help rebuild human lives.

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Legal Guide

We have created a legal guide for cities to maintain compliance with the Martin v Boise decision. The guide outlines best practices for compliance and provides models for successful ordinances that balance enforcement, housing, and legal requirements. The guide is written by Joseph Tartakovsky, attorney for the City of Boise in the Martin v Boise case.

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Case Studies

We have created case studies of cities that have delivered cost-effective and rapid results on homelessness. We’ll show you how San Diego built an emergency shelter and moved 700 people off the streets, how Burien eliminated camping in public parks, and how Modesto reduced quality-of-life crimes associated with homelessness by 83 percent — all within 60 days.

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