During appearances Tuesday, Jan. Robert Marbut, director of the U. By de-emphasizing treatment and instead handing out vouchers and building low-income units as first options for getting people off the streets, the country reversed what had been a declining trend in homelessness from to , according to U.
Housing and Urban Development figures from point-of-time counts across U. In span, homelessness decreased Interagency Council on Homelessness, an agency that manages 19 federal departments and agencies addressing homelessness. Marbut speaks to several hundred, including city officials, at Montclair Civic Center on Tuesday, Jan.
Senate in Washington, D. During his talk, Marbut never mentioned the president by name. The director pressed the same message wherever he speaks, he said, using new HUD statistics on the rise of homeless populations in cities along the 5 Freeway corridor, from San Diego to Seattle.
Marbut said Los Angeles County had 1, deaths of homeless individuals last year. When asked in an interview about his visit with officials in L. Counties, cities and many homeless agencies, which are doing homeless counts this week , are in favor of the housing-first strategy. Many point to other states that claim success using this policy. Lori Stevenson, who said she had been living on the street for about 10 years, spoke at the meeting Tuesday evening.
Marbut said the Trump Administration is promoting first using multiple treatment methods for mental illness, domestic violence and drug and alcohol addiction in large shelters, followed by the building of permanent housing. We really believe the service side is just as important as the housing side. You need both.
