True or False: Housing First gives chronically homeless individuals permanent housing before requiring treatment for addiction or mental illness.

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Accepted Answer

True. Housing First, the policy HUD followed for roughly 20 years, provides permanent housing to chronically homeless people first, then offers voluntary supportive services like addiction treatment and mental health counseling. The approach assumes stable housing is the foundation for addressing other issues. In November 2025, HUD Secretary Scott Turner reversed this, calling Housing First a "slush fund" that perpetuated dependency. Turner's FY 2025 Continuum of Care Notice of Funding Opportunity now caps permanent housing at 30% of renewal funds and prioritizes transitional housing that mandates treatment participation, aligning with what the administration calls "treatment and recovery" goals.

True or False: Housing First gives chronically homeless individuals permanent housing before requiring treatment for addiction or mental illness.

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