Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Our society faces a moral and economic crisis. Punishing people for being unhoused is a failed strategy that is both cruel and fiscally irresponsible. This report explores the data and charts a humane, evidence-based path forward.
An Escalating National Crisis
Homelessness has reached record levels, driven by a widening chasm between wages and the basic cost of housing.
U.S. Homelessness on a Single Night
Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
The Great Decoupling: Housing Costs vs. Income
Source: U.S. Treasury, Real Median Household Income (FRED)
A Tale of Two Policies
We face a clear choice: continue the expensive, ineffective cycle of criminalization, or invest in a proven, humane solution. Use the toggle below to compare the true costs and outcomes of each approach.
Annual Cost Per Person
Primary Outcome
Long-Term Success
Cost & System Impact Comparison
Anatomy of a Systemic Failure
Homelessness is not an accident. It's the predictable result of decades of policy choices that dismantled housing security for millions.
Housing Policy Failure
Since the 1980s, federal funding for affordable housing has been drastically cut, creating a national shortage of over 7 million affordable homes for the lowest-income families.
Mental Healthcare Gaps
The promise of community-based mental health centers to replace state hospitals was never fulfilled, leaving jails and emergency rooms as the de facto system for many.
Eroded Safety Net
The steady weakening of welfare, disability, and income support programs has removed the critical buffers that once protected families from economic shocks and housing loss.
The Architecture of a Solution
The solutions are known, evidence-based, and more fiscally responsible than the status quo. Below is a 7-pillar plan for a sane and humane national housing policy.