The results from HUD's first study on the costs of services to the homeless finds that securing and subsidizing rental housing for the homeless is more cost-effective than emergency homeless shelters.
According to the Houston Chronicle, the costs of sheltering a family in a homeless shelter can be almost double that of a two-bedroom apartment:
"When helping first-time homeless, it's cheaper for some communities to house individuals and families in rental apartments than in emergency shelters or transitional housing, according to a federal study released Thursday[ by] the Department of Housing and Urban Development. A little more than 7,000 individuals from four cities...and almost 4,000 families from six cities...were tracked over an 18-month period beginning in 2006. [I]n almost all cases, the cost of providing housing in homeless programs exceeds the fair market rent cost of providing rental assistance with support services.
Thaos Costis, chief executive officer of Houston's SEARCH Services...said the study builds the case for the housing-first concept, which is popular in northern states. The goal is get to people out of emergency shelters and into permanent housing immediately."
FULL STORY: Study: Rent units better for homeless, city budget
HUD: Homelessness Up by 12 Percent
The agency’s annual point-in-time count identified over 650,000 Americans living without permanent housing.
The Homelessness Crisis Deepened, Even Before the Pandemic
New numbers from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development show "devastating" growth in the number of unhoused people in the United States in January 2020.
Houston Gets a Handle on Homelessness While Dallas Struggles
Formerly playing host to almost double the homeless population of Dallas, Houston has addressed the problem with some success over the past decade. Meanwhile, rising costs have fueled a growing crisis in Dallas.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
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The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
Trump Approves Futuristic Automated Texas-Mexico Cargo Corridor
The project could remove tens of thousands of commercial trucks from roadways.
Austin's First Single Stair Apartment Building is Officially Underway
Eliminating the requirement for two staircases in multi-story residential buildings lets developers use smaller lots and more flexible designs to create denser housing.
Atlanta Bus System Redesign Will Nearly Triple Access
MARTA's Next Gen Bus Network will retool over 100 bus routes, expand frequent service.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Smith Gee Studio
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City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)