Morning Wire – “A New Approach to Homelessness”

Podcast: Morning Wire
Hosts: John Bickley & Georgia Howe
Date: November 29, 2025
Guest: Michelle Stieb, author of Answers Behind the Red Door: Battling the Homeless Epidemic
Episode Focus: Examining the government’s “Housing First” approach to homelessness, its consequences, and a shift towards policies prioritizing treatment and public safety.

Overview

This episode investigates why the U.S. homelessness crisis has worsened over the past decade, despite federal promises and massive funding. John Bickley interviews Michelle Stieb, a homelessness policy expert, to unpack the impact of the “Housing First” strategy, the roles of government at all levels, and newly proposed federal directives that condition funding on enforcement and treatment. The conversation exposes the roots and realities of homelessness and weighs new approaches favoring accountability and comprehensive support.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. From Faith-Based Care to Government “Housing First” (03:16–07:04)

• Historical Context:

  • Homelessness used to be largely addressed by the faith-based sector, with the federal government’s role expanding only in recent decades.
  • Pre-2013: The federal government funded diverse programs—shelters, transitional housing, mental health, and addiction treatment.

• Shift Under Obama Administration:

  • In 2013, the administration adopted “Housing First”: a policy funding only permanent housing subsidies/vouchers, not treatment or training programs.
  • “No requirement to engage in treatment ever. No requirement to work, ever. … This was rolled out without any evidence that it would work as a one-size-fits-all approach.”
    (Michelle Stieb, 05:17)

• Results:

  • Homelessness has increased by 35% nationally since the rollout.
  • The approach, intended for the chronically homeless, became the default for all, against evidence and best practices.
  • “Human beings need to be productive. They need to have purpose. And this policy, this approach completely flies in the face of that.”
    (Michelle Stieb, 06:13)

2. How Housing First Shaped California’s Crisis (07:04–08:34)

• California as the Cautionary Example:

  • California mirrored federal Housing First, dedicating all state and federal homeless funding to this strategy.
  • Since 2017, California’s homeless population has spiked by 40%.
  • Now, the state harbors nearly 50% of all unsheltered homeless in the U.S. and almost 40% of the total homeless population.
  • “San Francisco … Mayor Lurie starting to clean it up, Mayor Matt Mahan and San Jose really working to clean it up despite this mandate from the governor …”
    (Michelle Stieb, 07:55)

• Local/State Tension:

  • Some city mayors have become more pragmatic and conservative on homelessness than the governor.

3. Who Is Homeless—and Why? (09:21–13:13)

• Scope & Demographics:

  • Official HUD numbers (~900,000) are underestimates; real figures near 2.6 million.
  • “About 80% are struggling with either mental illness and/or addiction. … Within the female population, about 70% [experience] domestic violence. … 68% of our women had criminal histories.”
    (Michelle Stieb, 09:44)

• Mental Illness, Addiction & Lack of Self-Awareness (“Anosognosia”):

  • Many homeless are unable to recognize their own need for help.
  • The population didn’t choose this: “Not one of them raised their hand in first grade and said, ‘what I’m doing right now’. … They took a wrong turn, a series of wrong turns. They’re very sick. They don’t know how sick they are.”
    (Michelle Stieb, 11:01)

• Housing-First Fatalities:

  • Long-term studies (Boston) show nearly half of chronically homeless placed in housing without treatment died within five years.

4. The New Federal Executive Order: Accountability and Treatment (13:13–16:34)

• Biden-Trump Policy Shift:

  • Federal dollars are now to be prioritized for programs that integrate mental health/addiction counseling and transitional—not just permanent—housing.
  • Encampment clearing is mandated for federal funding.
  • “If a local government does not enforce the clearing of encampments and no camping laws or camping bans, they will lose federal funding. … Thankfully, [this] has some really big teeth.”
    (Michelle Stieb, 16:03)

• Compulsory Aspects (“Civil Commitment”):

  • Some severe cases may involve civil commitment for those unable to recognize their own illness or ask for help.
  • Early pilots: DC’s efforts to clear encampments; data on effectiveness still pending.
  • “Even if the data isn’t as fantastic at the onset … once people understand that there’s accountability … it’s going to start to really have a ripple effect.”
    (Michelle Stieb, 14:46)

• Impact on Death Rates:

  • Under Housing First, there’s been a 77% increase in the homeless death rate.
  • “It’s just been horrible.” (Michelle Stieb, 15:29)

5. Law Enforcement and Conditional Funding (16:03–16:34)

• More Stringent Law Enforcement Required:
  • The executive order ties funding to actual law enforcement and clearing of illegal encampments.
  • “It absolutely does … they will lose federal funding. It absolutely addresses this and thankfully, you know, has some really big teeth.”
    (Michelle Stieb, 16:12)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Human beings need to be productive. They need to have purpose. And this policy … completely flies in the face of that.”
  — Michelle Stieb [06:13]

• “California now has almost 50% of the nation’s unsheltered population… its cities have been ravaged by this.”
  — Michelle Stieb [07:47]

• “About 80% are struggling with either mental illness and/or addiction. … On top of those two, many of the homeless are also struggling with another disease of the brain called anosognosia. It’s actually a deficit of self-awareness.”
  — Michelle Stieb [09:44, 10:41]

• “This president has turned the battleship in the right direction. We need to lead these people into recovery and treatment. And it’s best for them, best for the general public, best for our environment, it’s best for everyone.”
  — Michelle Stieb [12:42]

• “If a local government does not enforce the clearing of encampments … they will lose federal funding. It absolutely addresses this and thankfully, … has some really big teeth.”
  — Michelle Stieb [16:13]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [03:16] – Introduction of Michelle Stieb and “Housing First” overview
• [05:17] – Housing First: “No requirement to engage in treatment ever. No requirement to work, ever.”
• [07:22] – California’s surge in homelessness after adopting Housing First
• [09:44] – Mental illness, addiction, and anosognosia among the homeless
• [11:01] – Chronic homelessness not a “lifestyle choice”
• [13:13] – Breakdown of the new executive order and policy shift
• [15:29] – “77% increase in death rate amongst the homeless under this policy”
• [16:03] – Conditional federal funding and enforcement of encampment clearing

Language and Tone

The conversation is fact-driven, pragmatic, and direct with a sense of urgency and frustration regarding failed past policies. Michelle Stieb is empathetic toward the homeless but tough on the need for accountability and comprehensive care; Bickley is analytical and persistent in seeking specifics.

Summary

In this episode, Morning Wire critiques the mainstream “Housing First” approach—which prioritizes government housing subsidies with no demands for treatment or accountability—and traces its role in ballooning homelessness, especially in California. Policy expert Michelle Stieb explains how new federal policies under President Trump (as discussed) aim to reverse this trend by conditioning all federal funding on enforcement, clearing of encampments, and integrating mental health and substance use treatments. The episode contends that only through a combination of personal initiative, community enforcement, and required treatment can the homelessness crisis be reversed—emphasizing that previous hands-off tactics have been disastrous for individuals and society alike.