HUD Secretary's Op-Ed Focuses on Local Homelessness Solutions

Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson has penned an op-ed for USA Today talking about homelessness.

The opinion piece starts its discussion by referencing the homelessness statistics recently released by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. According to Secretary Carson's summation of that study, homelessness is improving in many parts of the country, with the exception of "high-cost areas such as Los Angeles, Sacramento, Alameda County (Calif.) and Seattle." Secretary Carson blames the high cost of housing on rising homelessness in those cities, and touts the success of cities that have eliminated veteran homelessness "by creating systems that proactively connect homeless people with housing." 

"For years, there has been a growing mountain of data showing that a Housing First approach works to reduce not only costs to taxpayers but the human toll as well," writes Secretary Carson. "The evidence is clear: Doing something is better and less expensive than doing nothing."