First Circuit Clears HUD Homelessness Reforms as 2025 Count Hit 745,652
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 28
First Circuit Clears HUD Homelessness Reforms as 2025 Count Hit 745,652
2 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 28
Summary
Sept. 16’s First Circuit ruling let HUD proceed with homelessness-policy changes after months of litigation, clearing the agency to shift funding and performance measures toward recovery and self-sufficiency rather than housing placement alone.
HUD argues the old framework masked deterioration: since Housing First became dominant in 2013, taxpayer-funded beds rose 151%, overall homelessness increased 27%, and chronic homelessness climbed 81% by 2025.
745,652 people were counted as homeless in HUD’s 2025 point-in-time tally, but the report says that figure excludes many people placed in HUD-funded permanent housing and some families in rapid rehousing.
1,456,923 Americans were either homeless or living in taxpayer-subsidized homeless housing in 2025 by the report’s broader measure, while the Education Department identified about 1.5 million homeless K-12 students in 2023-24 under a wider definition.
Will HUD's shift to recovery-focused funding finally solve the homelessness crisis, or just leave the most vulnerable without a roof?
How will redefining homelessness to include couch-surfing and motels change the way billions in federal funding are distributed locally?
Could requiring 20 hours of weekly services in transitional housing inadvertently create insurmountable barriers for those desperately seeking shelter?