Fix Homelessness | How to rebuild human lives

Housing First Is a Disaster. I Saw Sacramento’s Homeless Chaos Firsthand

_{Michele Steeb
June 2, 2026
5
Homelessness}

America’s homelessness crisis is routinely framed as a housing crisis. It is not. It is a crisis born from the collapse of accountability at every level of the system. Nowhere are the consequences of that collapse more visible than in California — and especially in its capital city, Sacramento. In 2016, California became the only state in the nation to formally adopt the federal government’s Housing First mandate as its sole taxpayer-funded approach to homelessness, directing billions in state and federal dollars toward subsidized-for-life apartments with no accountability for sobriety, treatment, or work — ever. Sacramento County followed in 2017, embracing the housing-only model, despite repeated warnings from frontline providers that housing alone would …

New Federal Direction Frees Cities to Ditch Housing First, Pursue Real Solutions

_{Center on Wealth & Poverty
November 17, 2025
2
What Works}

SEATTLE, WA — “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.” Following a newly-released reformed funding package from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Discovery Institute published an essential policy brief calling on local governments, Continuums of Care (CoCs), and service agencies to leverage these new federal reforms and make treatment and recovery central to local homelessness solutions. The brief outlines how “Housing First” and …

Washington’s Homelessness and Drug Policies Have Created a Culture of Death and Disorder

_{Marsha Michaelis
June 10, 2026
4
Homelessness}

Timothy was dead for a week in Seattle’s Discovery Park, lying halfway inside the door of his tent, when an officer investigating rumors of “a body in the woods” finally found him on March 31. The coroner determined he died of hypothermia and exposure. Michael died alone in a tent, too, on April 9, in the middle of a crowded homeless encampment at Seattle’s Rotary View Park. A fire truck crew was flagged by someone who led them to Michael’s tent. They pulled him out to render aid, only to discover his body was already stiff. Michael’s pockets contained what was left of his fentanyl and crack cocaine. A responding officer put the drugs and some cash from Michael’s back pocket into an empty Narcan box sitting next to his body. Shawn died on …

“Homelessness” Meets the Simulation Theory

_{David Klinghoffer
June 8, 2026
4
Homelessness}

Soon the previously quiet, sweet, and leafy Seattle-area suburb where I live will have disturbed, fentanyl-addled zombies — aka, the “homeless” — living among us, in a facility of 178 residential units, near schools or outside your front door, courtesy of the virtue-signaling lawmakers in our state capitol of Olympia. What will follow is predictable: Mentally ill people defecating in the streets, hunching over in public to intensify the high of the drug, staggering around filthy and half-naked. How do insane things like this actually happen? I received a few insights by doing the other day what I should have done long ago, but didn’t: attending a mind-numbingly dull Public Hearing for our City Council’s Planning Commission. If you live in a blue state …

Senior Fellow Tom Wolf Quoted in The National News Desk

_{Center on Wealth & Poverty and Tom Wolf
June 2, 2026
1
Homelessness}

The National News Desk just released an article that quotes Fix Homelessness Senior Fellow Tom Wolf. The article discusses the findings of the annual report on homelessness from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Wolf is a formerly homeless recovering Heroin and Fentanyl addict from San Francisco who is now an internationally recognized Recovery Advocate. …

Where Is the Outrage? The Double Standard No One Wants to Admit

_{Michele Steeb
May 25, 2026
4
Homelessness}

When environmental destruction, abuse, violence, and public disorder emerge from homeless encampments, many of America’s most vocal advocacy organizations suddenly fall silent. Recently, a major stretch of Interstate 110 in Los Angeles was shut down for nearly 24 hours after a fire erupted inside a homeless encampment beneath the freeway. As emergency crews battled the blaze and cleared the aftermath, the broader impact came into sharp focus: mountains of debris and trash removed, emergency personnel diverted from other critical duties, millions of gallons of water consumed, commuters stranded across one of the nation’s busiest urban corridors, and concerns raised about potential damage to public infrastructure. Thankfully, no fatalities were reported. But the broader …

Your Vote Is for Sale on the Streets of California – And What I Found Out About Life on Skid Row

_{James O’Keefe
May 20, 2026
4
Fraud}

The following article was originally published in the New York Post. Journalist and Discovery Institute Senior Fellow Jonathan Choe is mentioned in this piece. He helped expose this cash-for-ballots scheme. Watch his video. On Monday, the US Department of Justice announced that Brenda Lee Brown Armstrong, 64, of Marina Del Rey had been indicted on federal charges for illegally paying homeless people to register to vote. She now faces up to five years in prison for federal election crimes. In addition to registering homeless people to vote, Brown allegedly had those same people sign California election petitions using fake names and fake addresses. She allegedly supplied them with the names and addresses of real California voters, to write in. There’s no mistaking …

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Street Report

from Jonathan Choe

Seattle Mayor Gives Press Conference on New Low Barrier Shelter

_{Jonathan Choe
June 8, 2026
1
Homelessness}

Credit to the Mayor Sunday afternoon, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson joined a press conference to announce the grand opening of the Bayside Enhanced Shelter community in Interbay. Gonna be 75 units of transitional housing for homeless drug addicts. There’s already concern it’s going to become a crime magnet in the community. More on that in a moment. But for now, here is Wilson’s entire Q&A with the press. It turned into a semi sh*t show once the “Stop The Sweeps Seattle” crowd started criticizing the mayor for her aggressive encampment removals. They also pressed Wilson on her recent decision to activate surveillance cameras for the FIFA World Cup. Once again, this is another example of the far-left eating their own. Otherwise, credit to …

Father of 6-Month-Old Who Narrowly Escaped Gunfire Calls on Seattle Mayor to Act

_{Jonathan Choe
June 7, 2026
1
Crime, Law, and Order}

Where’s Katie? Neighbor Jake Wallack says his 6-month-old child was nearly hit by a stray bullet from the ongoing pimp wars along Aurora Ave N. Since socialist Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is paralyzed by the overwhelming public safety threat, Wallack is now calling on the National Guard to patrol the streets until this is handled. NEW: Hundreds of angry Seattle residents showed up for the “Stop the Traffickers, Stop the Bullets” demonstration along Aurora Ave N. late Saturday evening.Neighbors organized the rally in response to the pimping, gang banging, and gun battles spiraling out of control in this… pic.twitter.com/geZRngPK96— Jonathan Choe (@choeshow) June 7, 2026 …

Hundreds Show Up to Seattle Protest Against Neighborhood Violence, Mayor Absent

_{Jonathan Choe
June 7, 2026
1
Crime, Law, and Order}

“It’s Our Turn” Mayor Katie Wilson was MIA at Saturday night’s anti-violence march in North Seattle. Neighbors eviscerated mayor Wilson, calling her a coward and accusing her of being unprepared to address the staggering amount of human trafficking and ongoing pimp wars on Aurora Ave N. NEW: Hundreds of angry Seattle residents showed up for the “Stop the Traffickers, Stop the Bullets” demonstration along Aurora Ave N. late Saturday evening.Neighbors organized the rally in response to the pimping, gang banging, and gun battles spiraling out of control in this… pic.twitter.com/geZRngPK96— Jonathan Choe (@choeshow) June 7, 2026 …

Seattle Residents March Against Street Violence and Trafficking Occurring Under Mayor Wilson’s Watch

_{Jonathan Choe
June 7, 2026
1
Crime, Law, and Order}

“No More Bullets in Our Bedrooms” Hundreds of angry Seattle residents showed up for the “Stop the Traffickers, Stop the Bullets” demonstration along Aurora Ave N. late Saturday evening. Neighbors organized the rally in response to the pimping, gang banging, and gun battles spiraling out of control in this community. King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion, City Attorney Erika Evans, and Councilmember Bob Kettle showed up to lend support. But Mayor Katie Wilson was a no-show. Wilson has been facing enormous criticism for failing this community on public safety. Especially after she removed makeshift street barricades created by neighbors to prevent drive-by shootings. Here is the speaking portion of the event in full. NEW: Hundreds of angry …

Protestors Gather at Cicero Institute to Protest HUD’s Shift in Homeless Policy

_{Jonathan Choe
June 5, 2026
1
Homelessness}

Homeless INC Protests Changes Friday afternoon, far-left activists targeted Cicero Institute’s Homelessness Policy Summit in Washington, D.C. Most of these professional protesters are aligned with Homeless INC and are deathly afraid of losing their gravy train. That’s because the Trump administration defunded Housing First, one of the greatest public policy failures in American history. It’s made the street crisis worse and cost taxpayers billions of dollars. But now the vast majority of that money will be flowing into treatment and recovery focused providers. Discovery Institute and Cicero Institute played a massive role in helping craft the direction of this new approach that will save lives. We Heart Seattle’s Andrea Suarez, Tom Wolf, and …

The Environmental Cost of Sacramento’s Homelessness Crisis

_{Jonathan Choe
June 3, 2026
1
Homelessness}

Where are the environmentalists?Where are the climate change activists?Where is CA Governor Gavin Newsom? NEW: Sacramento's precious waterways are being destroyed by homeless drug addicts. But city, county, and state agencies are all paralyzed and no one wants to take the lead to solve the problem. So a group of senior citizens and volunteers are taking matters into their own… pic.twitter.com/jzVBXNeRIX— FRONTLINES TPUSA (@FrontlinesTPUSA) June 3, 2026 …

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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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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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