The recent executive order, Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets, highlights real challenges facing communities: visible homelessness, public safety concerns, and the acute needs of individuals with mental health and substance use disorders. It is undeniable that some people experiencing homelessness struggle with mental illness or substance use, and these issues can be associated with higher risk of victimization, encounters with law enforcement, and challenges in maintaining stable housing.

However, the EO mischaracterizes the problem and proposes solutions that evidence shows are ineffective or harmful. Contrary to the claim that the “overwhelming majority” of people experiencing homelessness have mental health or substance use disorders, research consistently finds that:

• Most people experiencing homelessness are not chronically addicted or mentally ill. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, about 25–30% of the homeless population experience serious mental illness or substance use disorders, and fewer have both concurrently (NCH, 2025, 2017)
  
• Homelessness is primarily a housing problem, not a mental health problem. Access to affordable, stable housing is the strongest predictor of ending homelessness (Colburn et al., 2022)
• Evidence-based “harm reduction” programs—such as overdose prevention, safe injection sites, and syringe exchange—reduce morbidity and mortality, improve engagement with services, and are supported by extensive research (NIH, 2010)

Effective Solutions

The research base is clear that effective strategies require housing first coupled with robust, voluntary, and when necessary, assertive services, rather than coercion or involuntary commitment:

1. Housing First: Provides immediate access to permanent housing without preconditions. Randomized controlled trials and longitudinal studies show that Housing First dramatically increases housing stability compared to treatment-first or shelter-based approaches (Tsemberis et al., 2004).
2. Integrated Supportive Services: To promote recovery and accountability, Housing First programs must pair housing with services such as mental health counseling, substance use treatment, medical care, and case management.
3. Assertive Community Treatment (ACT): For individuals with severe mental illness, ACT teams provide frequent, intensive, and community-based support, achieving higher treatment adherence, reduced hospitalizations, and improved housing retention without involuntary commitment (Phillips et al., 2001)
4. Harm Reduction Approaches: Evidence shows that harm reduction programs reduce overdose deaths, infectious disease spread, and improve engagement in treatment—directly addressing the EO’s stated concerns about public safety. 

Systemic Challenges

Current homelessness systems are under-resourced. Many communities lack sufficient affordable housing, case management capacity, and coordinated health services. These gaps leave individuals exposed to cycles of crisis, incarceration, and hospitalization. Accessible voluntary services are necessary but not sufficient; high-risk individuals may require more assertively delivered services to ensure both their safety and that of the community.

To the extent Housing First is not meeting its promise for the minority of the homeless population who are experiencing mental illness or SUD, it is due to lack of co-investment in services, not a failure of the model itself. The solution is more robust service-delivery--especially through ACT and permanent supportive housing--not a return to the dark days of mass institutionalization. 

Conclusion

The evidence indicates that public safety and community well-being are best supported by:

• Investing in Housing First and permanent supportive housing,
• Ensuring comprehensive, assertive voluntary services (including ACT),
• Maintaining and expanding harm reduction programs, and
• Addressing systemic barriers to affordable housing and health care.

Coercion, involuntary commitment, or criminalization of homelessness does not address the root causes and is consistently shown to worsen outcomes. A data-driven, humane approach requires substantial investment in housing and services that meet people where they are, protect civil rights, and promote long-term stability.

 June & July Highlights
Our Family Support Program continues to make a difference in residents’ lives across our communities. In recent months, we’ve seen how many residents face challenges that often go unaddressed by other providers—such as low literacy, the complexities of aging, and serious health conditions. By building trust and offering steady support, advocacy, and connection, we help residents navigate these barriers and remain safely housed. Here are a few stories from June and July that illustrate this impact.

Supporting Stability at Home
One Addison County mother, raising three teenagers on her own, was referred for help after an inspection revealed that housekeeping issues were creating potential health and fire safety hazards in her apartment. Through consistent check-ins, she’s tackled the work step by step—starting with the kitchen, then the hallway, and beyond. With the right supplies, encouragement, and regular meetings, she’s making lasting progress ensuring a safe and healthy environment for her family. As she put it: “I really like our meetings and your support.”

Navigating Housing Paperwork
For one longtime resident who cannot read or write, the annual housing voucher recertification process felt overwhelming. By building a supportive relationship, our staff were able to help him gather the right documents, connect with Social Security, and keep his Section 8 voucher current—ensuring he didn’t lose his housing.

Another resident with a traumatic brain injury was struggling with back rent after not understanding a change in his subsidy. Usually hard to reach, he was able to bond with Family Support Coordinator Kaio over shared affection for Steven Segal movies, and together they were able to review his rental portion, apply for emergency assistance, and resolve the arrears. Today, he’s current on his rent and says simply: “I’m all set up now.”

Consistent Support for Seniors
At 85, one resident shared how overwhelming it can be to manage the annual recertification paperwork for affordable housing. For the past three years, our staff have been there each summer to guide her through gathering income documents and completing the process. That continuity makes it possible for her to remain safely housed and stress-free.

Moving to Vermont and Starting Fresh
A newer resident who recently relocated from another state needed help transferring her Medicare benefits to Vermont and paying a security deposit after moving in. She hadn’t felt comfortable reaching out to other providers, but she connected easily with our Family Support staff. With support, she was able to secure financial assistance and settle into her new home with confidence.

Adjusting to New Health Needs
One former farmer, recently retired, was hospitalized this summer and now requires a first-floor apartment. Our team helped him get on the waitlist for an accessible unit and secure a reasonable accommodation request. Though he misses farm life, he’s adjusting with a positive spirit and is grateful to have advocacy and support as his needs change.

Home Repair Impact
This summer, our team helped residents access more than $20,000 in Manufactured Housing Improvement and Repair (MHIR) program funding for health and safety investment. Projects included new flooring in living rooms and bathrooms, plumbing and shower repairs, and essential improvements like roofing, doors, and skirting. These repairs ensure that homes remain safe, livable, and secure for residents who might otherwise go without.

Thank you to all staff, partners, and community members who make this work possible. Together, we’re helping residents stay safe, stable, and supported in their homes.

It’s been a seismic summer, with housing and essential services squarely at the forefront of national attention. At Addison Housing Works, we’re working to stay engaged and responsive amid ongoing volatility, always with our residents’ safety and security as the bottom line.

It seems like every day brings new data pointing to the consequences of federal retrenchment. Two recent reports from the Urban Institute stand out. One offers an interactive look at the geographic footprint of households that rely on both Medicaid and SNAP: over 12 million across the U.S., including many in rural regions like ours. Cuts to either program don’t just affect health or hunger in isolation; they ripple directly into housing stability.

The second report is just as clear: when there isn’t enough affordable housing, more children and youth experience homelessness. Over the past 17 years, the number of homeless K–12 students has risen nearly 80%. These young people face chronic absenteeism, lower graduation rates, and compounding disadvantage. If we’re serious about educational equity, we have to be serious about housing supply.

We’re also seeing growing evidence of what does move the needle, right from our own back yard. A new paper from a Middlebury College economics professor and student is drawing national attention for its analysis of Minneapolis’s 2018 zoning reforms. By eliminating single-family-only zoning, the city saw rents and home prices fall by double digits. The research offers a compelling argument for how local land use reform can impact affordability even before a single unit is built.

All of this reinforces why our work matters—not just the homes we develop and manage, but the systems-level engagement we bring to the table. Thank you for staying in this with us.