Homelessness crisis linked to rising rents, not personal choice, report finds

A 2024 Treasury Department report identifies the leading cause of homelessness in the United States as rents and house prices rising faster than incomes over the past two decades. Despite this evidence, right-wing think tank Cicero Institute, founded by Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale, promotes the view that homelessness is a choice and advocates for bans on street camping, involuntary institutionalization, and building camps outside cities. As of April 2026, 22 states are considering or have passed legislation based on Cicero's ideas. In Utah, authorities are building a 1,300-bed camp on the outskirts of Salt Lake City with forced treatment for mental health and addiction. Jesse Rabinowitz of the National Homelessness Law Center calls these policies "racist, backwards, and ineffective." Former President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis have echoed anti-homeless rhetoric. Meanwhile, Democratic leaders like Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom have also failed to address root causes, with Newsom instituting encampment bans. The Trump administration ended federal "housing first" policies in December 2025. A California experiment giving $750 monthly to 103 unhoused people showed the amount insufficient to cover rent in high-cost areas. Rabinowitz's organization launched the "No Federal Funding for Homeless Detention Camps" campaign in early 2026.