Federal Homelessness Agency Places Entire Staff on Leave

The new director of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness put the entire 20-person staff of the agency on administrative leave Monday, furthering the administration’s effort to dismantle federal housing programs. While the President cannot legally abolish the agency outright, its legal authorization expires in 2028 unless Congress takes action to renew it.

According to a New York Times article by Jason DeParle, “Once seen as a vehicle for bipartisan work, [the Council] has come under conservative criticism for promoting a policy called Housing First, which houses some homeless people without requiring them to seek treatment for mental illness or substance abuse.” The agency administered homelessness prevention and relief programs at a time when the unhoused population has reached alarming highs.

A separate article by the same author explains that the Council actually advanced the administration’s goal to improve efficiency: “In coordinating the homelessness work of 19 federal agencies, the council seeks to eliminate duplication and make Washington more accessible to local organizations. Eliminating its annual budget, $4 million, would save about as much as the government spends every 18 seconds.”

Even critics of Housing First don’t want to see the agency eliminated altogether. Tom De Vries, CEO of the Citygate Network representing faith-based housing groups, says an agency that prioritizes and coordinates homelessness prevention efforts at the federal level is necessary.