US Overhauls Federal Homelessness Assistance Through $4 Billion Initiative

Between 2013 and 2025, chronic homelessness jumped by 81 percent despite a 151 percent surge in taxpayer-funded beds.

A homeless individual rests on a sidewalk in Los Angeles on Jan. 7, 2026. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is inviting applications for a $4.04 billion funding program aimed at tackling homelessness, overhauling the program by ditching “Housing First” policies, and tying future funding to performance.

Earlier homeless assistance programs focused on Housing First policies, under which the priority was to grant homeless people immediate access to permanent housing without any preconditions. However, this was largely unsuccessful, according to HUD.