Psychologist Sam Tsemberis developed the model in the early 1990s through Pathways to Housing in New York City. Older programs made people earn housing by meeting conditions first. Housing First reversed that, treating a stable home as the base for recovery. Studies in the US and Canada found high rates of housing retention and fewer emergency room visits and jail stays.
The approach became federal policy under presidents of both parties. But on July 24, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order titled Ending Crime and Disorder on America's Streets. It directed agencies to end support for Housing First and to favor programs that require treatment and enforce bans on camping.
The debate has racial stakes. In 2024, Black people made up about 12 percent of the US population but 32 percent of people experiencing homelessness, according to HUD. Advocates warn that conditioning housing on treatment and policing will push more Black, disabled and poor people into jails rather than homes.