A total of 1.6 million people experienced homelessness last year alone. President Obama has decided to attempt to remedy this sobering fact with the new Interagency Council on Homelessness' (USICH) "Opening Doors" plan.
"Prior to the Bush administration, federal efforts to address homelessness were geared towards providing emergency housing for what was widely seen as a temporary spike in domestic homelessness. The importance of providing permanent supportive housing has become apparent only in recent years."
"While there is a lot of rhetoric about holding local communities accountable with report cards and annual reports, ['Opening Doors'] doesn't have quantifiable goals, benchmark goals, or budget implications. It's a report focused on process rather than performance," argued Phil Mangano, George W. Bush's homelessness czar. Mangano believes homelessness is best "solved through business principles and cannot be adequately addressed inside the Beltway."
Read the full story: Obama's Urban Policy Seeks to Shelter 1 Million, But Has A Long Way to Go
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