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 …

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 …

Criminals in Homeless Housing: It’s Time for a Better Approach

_{Marsha Michaelis
September 15, 2026
1
Crime, Law, and Order}

Many of Washington’s homeless housing providers invite criminals to mingle with the vulnerable in their low-barrier facilities. It’s time to change that. …

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Street Report

from Jonathan Choe

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. …

Asian Elders: Unsuspected Culprits in Chinatown ID’s Black Market of Stolen Goods

_{Jonathan Choe
October 20, 2026
1
Crime, Law, and Order}

Some Flee, Others Take Advantage An Asian grandma with a wad of $20’s just got a fantastic deal on stolen vitamins in Seattle’s Chinatown-ID. It’s the worst kept secret, but Asian elders are helping fuel the black market of stolen goods and the drug crisis. Cops know it. Politicians know it. But no one wants to call this out because it could potentially be interpreted as “racist.” The Asian seniors are treated like royalty out here. Zero fear of whacked-out drug addicts or criminals. In fact, they get the red carpet treatment because they have the cash! And as Nick Shirley exposed last month, Asians are also running food stamp hustles. As more Asian mom & pop businesses flee the CID, others in this community are clearly taking …

Name of Man Revealed Who Reported We Heart to Seattle to State, Sparking Investigation

_{Jonathan Choe
October 15, 2026
1
Drug Epidemic}

Exclusive Public records show the person accusing We Heart Seattle volunteers of improperly picking up fentanyl foil and needles is James Otton. Otton has triggered an ongoing WA State Department of Labor & Industries investigation into the homeless outreach group. However, We Heart founder Andrea Suarez says Otton has never worked or volunteered for her organization. State of Washington is investigating We Heart Seattle for picking up the needles and fentanyl foil they hand out.For six years we’ve removed hundreds of thousands of pieces of used drug paraphernalia from Seattle parks, greenbelts, and neighborhoods, the exact litter created by… pic.twitter.com/bzorOh8KiX— We Heart Seattle (@weheartseattle) August 17, 2026 Incident Report It appears …

Power, Politics, and Seattle’s Homelessness Machine

_{Jonathan Choe
October 7, 2026
1
Housing}

In an eerie, “zombie-like” incident last September, a homeless woman in Seattle attacked another woman, biting a chunk out of her forehead. The homeless woman lives in Seattle’s Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC) apartments, a homeless service provider that follows the Housing First model, providing housing without any requirements for treatment or sobriety. In this investigation, Senior Fellow and journalist Jonathan Choe examines the crime, chaos, and disorder that proliferates in and around DESC’s multiple locations, their powerful connections to Washington politics, and the protection they receive from those connections. …

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Our Mission

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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