Administration of Joseph R. Biden, Jr., 2022

December 19, 2022

Every American deserves a safe and reliable place to call home. It's a matter of security, stability, and well-being. It is also a matter of basic dignity and who we are as a Nation.

Yet many Americans live each day without safe or stable housing. Some are in emergency shelters. Others live on our streets, exposed to the threats of violence, adverse weather, disease, and so many other dangers exacerbated by homelessness. Both the COVIDâ19 pandemic and the reckoning our Nation has faced on issues of racial justice have also exposed inequities that have been allowed to fester for far too long.

At the same time, we know we can do something about it. That is why I'm proud to present the Biden-Harris Administration's Federal Strategic Plan to reduce homelessness by 25 percent by January 2025âan ambitious plan that will put us on the path to meeting my long-term vision of preventing and ending homelessness in America. We need partners at the State and local levels, in the private sector, and from philanthropies to all play a part in meeting this goal.

My plan offers a roadmap for not only getting people into housing but also ensuring that they have access to the support, services, and income that allow them to thrive. It is a plan that is grounded in the best evidence and aims to improve equity and strengthen collaboration at all levels.

My plan builds on the foundation my Administration has laid since I came to office. When I signed the American Rescue Plan in March 2021, we provided tens of billions of dollars in rental assistance to people who were struggling during the pandemic through no fault of their ownâ reducing eviction filings and keeping millions of Americans from being thrown out of their homes. Communities across the country are using American Rescue Plan funds to create more permanent affordable housing and support State and local initiatives to address homelessness.

But, there's much more to do. Americans of all backgrounds all across the country are struggling with housing costs that have far outpaced wage growth. At the same time, often due to historical inequities, veterans, low-income workers, people of color, LGBTQI+ Americans, people with disabilities, older adults, and people with arrest or conviction records are at greater risk of homelessness. They have fewer opportunities to access safe, affordable housing and health care and face more barriers to fulfilling these basic needs once they lose them.

This plan meets the urgency of the moment. It recognizes that it's not enough to go back to the way things were before the pandemic. We must build a better future for all Americans. This plan also recognizes that homelessness should not be a partisan issue. A great nation has a moral obligation to ensure housing, but it's also the smart thing to do.

When we provide access to housing to people experiencing homelessness, they are able to take steps to improve their health and well-being, further their education, seek steady employment, and bring greater stability to their lives and to the community that surrounds them. That not only saves individual lives, it also pays ongoing dividends for neighborhoods, cities, states, and our entire country. By ensuring more Americans have safe, stable, and affordable homes, we can build a stronger foundation for our entire Nation.

Joe Biden

NOTE: This statement was released by the Office of the Press Secretary as part of a U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness report titled "All In: The Federal Strategic Plan To Prevent and End Homelessness.

Categories: Statements by the President : Homelessness, Federal Strategic Plan To Prevent and End.

Subjects: COVIDâ19 pandemic; Eviction, prevention efforts; Health care costs and affordability; Homelessness, prevention and reduction efforts; Housing, affordability and access; Racial equality, improvement efforts; Rental assistance.

DCPD Number: DCPD202201146.