Since returning to office, the Trump administration has moved to upend America’s long-standing approach to tackling homelessness. The “housing-first” model — which has enjoyed bipartisan support for decades — prioritizes getting people into stable accommodations before addressing other issues like mental health or substance abuse.

This evidence-backed approach first gained prominence during George W. Bush’s presidency, with Salt Lake City becoming an early success story in 2005. It was supported by the Trump administration during the president’s first term, and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson publicly praised the model several times.

But as homelessness has worsened due to the nation’s housing affordability crisis, conservative think tanks and GOP lawmakers have increasingly pointed to “housing-first,” and the network of nonprofits and service providers that support it, as the culprit. Project 2025, the Heritage Foundation’s 900-page policy blueprint, explicitly calls to “end housing-first policies.”

Trump’s appointment of Scott Turner — a pastor and former Texas state lawmaker — to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) signals a deeper shift. Federal policy is poised to turn away from the individuals and institutions that have backed housing-first and toward a new approach that embraces mandatory treatment and even faith-based models.

During his time as a legislator, Turner voted against multiple bills to expand affordable housing and protect low-income tenants, while blaming government welfare for harming American families. In his confirmation hearing, Turner emphasized an interest in leaning more heavily on local organizations, including religious groups, to solve the homelessness crisis.

Now as secretary, he’s created a “DOGE”-style task force aimed at slashing agency spending, including money directed to housing-first........

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