The Trump-Vance administration’s cruel plan to instantly cure homelessness by taking away homes has hit a major speed bump. A federal court went ahead and crushed HUD’s rushed crusade to dismantle “Housing First,” allowing a brief moment to take a deep breath of air for communities already suffocating under a massive housing crisis.
In a predictable twist, HUD’s strategy to instantly starve permanent housing models in favor of programs demanding job training or sobriety first didn’t fly. It goes without saying finding a 9-to-5 and staying sober is a breeze when your mattress is nothing more than a piece of cardboard on a cold concrete slab on lower State Street. U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy forcibly smacked the administration with basic law, labeling their chaotic overnight flip-flop the “hallmark of unreasoned decision making.” Turns out, you can’t just rewrite federal housing policy on a whim without checking if your math does more harm than good.
If the administration had succeeded, California communities — which apparently have all agreed spending 90 percent of federal funds on permanent housing makes sense, would have seen that support slashed to a mere 30 percent. That crazy math would have instantly wrecked local, functional public-private agencies that are on the front lines working withi our most vulnerable community members.
While this legal victory keeps our local safety net intact for now, HUD is already hard at work trying to take a second bite at the apple with fresh 2026 cruel mathematical guidelines. A brand-new lawsuit was just filed to stop them. Round two begins: Watch policymakers continue to transform poverty into a character flaw right before your eyes.
