Faith & Law: Compassion First, A Sensible Approach to America’s Homeless Crisis

Washington, D.C – Discovery President Steve Buri, Senior Fellow Robert Marbut, and Senior Fellow Wesley J. Smith spoke at a Faith and Law forum on Capitol Hill. Below is a summary from faithandlaw.org.

Watch the forum and read more here.

For nearly a decade, federal policies meant to address homelessness have centered around “Housing First,” which begins with an assumption that the crisis is driven primarily by a lack of affordable housing. But is it really? Studies show that most individuals experiencing homelessness suffer from severe addiction, untreated mental illness, or a combination of the two. Others end up on the streets because they have no one to turn to, typically owing to broken familial relationships. It’s time for a change. 

This Friday Forum our panel explored a new approach that acknowledges that inherent dignity of those suffering and that focuses on restoration, recovery, and self-sufficiency.

Additional resources: 

• Discovery Institute’s report “How Congress Can Reform Government’s Misguided Homelessness Policies”.
• The Wall Street Journal article “Obama Promised to End Homelessness This Year“, February 20, 2023, by our Senior Fellows Robert Marbut and Marvin Olasky
• Steven Buri’s article “What Does Real Compassion for the Homeless Look Like?”
• Wesley J. Smith’s article “Housing First Caused the Homelessness Catastrophe”