Common Sense Governance
WA officials file lawsuit to tragically keep failing homeless policies in place
December 12, 2025

WA officials file lawsuit to tragically keep failing homeless policies in place

Over the Thanksgiving holiday, Attorney General Nick Brown announced that Washington State joined a federal lawsuit against the Trump Administration to allow state and local governments to continue controversial “Housing First” homelessness policies.

These ineffective measures, which disregard the role of mental illness and addiction in rising homelessness, have resulted in an 80% more people suffering on our streets than in 2012.

The Democrat Attorney General’s announcement came after HUD Secretary Scott Turner revealed new federal funding guidelines for homelessness projects. Following last summer’s Executive Orders from President Trump, funding will move away from wasteful “Housing First” policies and will instead prioritize homeless funds for addiction and mental health treatment. This is not reducing homelessness funds as opponents are falsely claiming, but reprioritizing where the money is spent.

At the press conference, AG Brown, bureaucrat leaders, taxpayer-funded agency heads, and others who benefit from the current system, ignored the fact that existing policies have resulted in a steep rise in homelessness in the state. As they attempted to scare the public with draconian images of what will take place and red herring statements regarding transgender rights, they conveniently ignored the suffering that their Housing First philosophy has brought to thousands of people in Washington State.

In 2012, the Obama administration mandated that only Housing First projects would receive federal funding. It was their belief that if a homeless individual was provided with taxpayer-funded stable housing, then government services would remove all the problems which prevent the person from leading a productive life. While this may sound like a good plan on the surface, the reality is addiction and mental health services are nearly non-existent. The taxpayer-funded housing quickly becomes drug dens where dealers prey on addicts and criminal violence is a regular occurrence.

The facts are Housing First has resulted in an  increase in homelessness across the country – especially in very progressive West Coast states.

Here in Washington, strict adherence to Housing First policies has resulted in:

At no time during the press conference did Attorney General Brown explain how things were going to suddenly improve, after 12 straight years of homelessness increases, if the state continued to follow Housing First policies.

While extreme and partisan politicians continue to promote measures which have brought more suffering to those most vulnerable, real homeless advocates and respected researchers have developed policies and programs which take aim at homelessness’ root causes – drug/alcohol addiction and mental health issues. The largest survey of homeless individuals found that more than 75% self-describe themselves as addicts and/or having mental issues – the true figure is likely even higher.

The Discovery Institute laid out the blueprint for a treatment-based approach in its latest report “How Local Jurisdictions Can Leverage Homelessness Reforms.” The publication provides a strategy on how local governments can effectively move away from ineffective homelessness policies to ones more focused on addiction and mental health recovery.

To significantly reduce the homeless population, the report advocates:

  • Moving funds away from expensive permanent housing into treatment and short-term recovery housing
  • Enforce public safety and health laws regarding encampments
  • Imposing more accountability measures to stop the out-of-control waste and fraud in the current funding process
  • Develop “Outreach Teams” that include police, emergency medical providers, and mental health/addiction specialists

Most importantly, the report argues that success must be redefined. Where Attorney General Brown and government bureaucrats aim to make more people dependent on taxpayer-funded services, the goal of the administration’s policies is to treat/heal the individual and allow them to become independent and lead a productive life.