劳拉·昂加尔（Laura Ungar）与杰夫·马尔维希尔（Jeff Mulvihill）共同撰文指出：唐纳德·特朗普政府正在调整联邦政策，将资金从“住房优先”（Housing First）这一长期以来一直作为联邦无家可归问题解决核心的政策方向中转移出去。
LAURA UNGAR, GEOFF MULVIHILL President Donald Trump’s administration is shifting federal policy and dollars away from the “Housing First” approach that’s been the heart of federal homelessness policy for more than a decade.
“住房优先”政策的核心理念是：在解决无家可归者的其他问题之前，首先为他们提供永久性的住房。而现任政府更倾向于采用临时住房方案——这些临时住房的居住期限最长仅为两年，期间无家可归者需要参加相关培训项目，以解决药物滥用、就业准备等问题。
The concept calls for getting the most vulnerable people living on the streets and in shelters into permanent housing first before addressing their other problems. The administration prefers relying on temporary housing where people can live for no more than two years while they go through required programs to address issues such as substance use disorder and job readiness.
关于哪种方法更有效，目前存在激烈的争议。这一突然的政策转变让那些依赖联邦资金的当地住房组织感到无奈，他们担心新政策会损害他们试图帮助的对象；某些健康状况极差的人可能会再次流落街头，或者继续生活在临时住房中。以下是美联社报道中的关键数据：根据美国住房和城市发展部（HUD）的统计，去年全美约有75万名无家可归者，这一数字虽较前一年略有下降，但较2019年仍增长了31%。
There’s deep debate about which way is more effective, and the abrupt shift has left local housing organizations that depend on federal funds to make changes reluctantly. They fear the new way will hurt the people they are trying to serve and could put some people with extreme health risks back on the streets, or keep others there. Here are some takeaways from The Associated Press’ reporting : Across America, nearly 750,000 people were homeless last year, according to an estimate compiled by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
长期无家可归者的比例（即那些患有残疾、且无家可归时间超过一年的人）自2019年以来也有所上升，目前已占总无家可归者数量的约四分之一。
That number is down slightly from the previous year but up 31% from 2019. The portion considered chronically homeless — having a disability and long-term or repeated episodes of homelessness of at least a year — has also risen since 2019.
研究显示：大约一半的无家可归成年人患有残疾，其中高达三分之二的人患有精神疾病；五分之二的无家可归者存在药物滥用问题。他们的残疾率、心脏病发病率和糖尿病发病率均是一般人群的两到三倍。
It’s now about a quarter of the total. Overall, research shows, roughly half of homeless adults live with a disability, up to two-thirds have mental illness and 2 in 5 have substance use disorder. Rates of disability, heart disease and diabetes are two to three times higher than in the general population.
如何判定解决无家可归问题的最佳方案，取决于评判时所采用的视角。如果目标是减少整体无家可归人数、帮助人们进入就业市场、尽可能少花纳税人的钱、改善健康状况——或者仅仅是让人活下去——答案可能会有所不同。
Determining the best solutions to homelessness depends on the lens used to judge it. The answer may be different if the goal is reducing overall homelessness, helping people into the job market, spending as little taxpayer money as possible, improving health outcomes — or just keeping people alive.
研究一致表明，“住房优先”项目能让人们稳定地获得住房。一些研究称，它们在这方面的效果优于其他模式，包括“治疗优先”——后者主张对成瘾和严重精神疾病强制提供服务。但关于健康结果的研究发现则好坏参半。
Studies have consistently shown that Housing First programs keep people stably housed. Some research says they do so better than other models, including “Treatment First,” which favors mandatory services for addiction and serious mental illness . But findings on health outcomes have been mixed.
服务提供者表示，对于某些人来说，临时住房或过渡性住房是一个不错的选择，比如那些在被驱逐后重新站稳脚跟的人。但他们说，大多数长期无家可归者无法在两年内让生活重回正轨，很可能会再次流落街头。
Service providers say temporary, or transitional, housing is a good option for some people, such as those getting on their feet after evictions. But they say most chronically homeless people can’t pull their lives together within two years and would likely wind up homeless again.
去年，特朗普签署了一项行政命令，呼吁终止联邦政府对“住房优先”政策的支持。他提出的明年预算要求取消这项联邦计划，而该计划的资金主要流向“住房优先”项目。
Last year, Trump signed an executive order calling for an end to federal support for Housing First policies. His proposed budget for next year calls for eliminating the federal initiative that goes mostly to Housing First programs.
在住房与城市发展部试图按照政府偏好的政策重新调整其无家可归问题拨款后，一个由地方政府和无家可归者权益倡导者组成的联盟提起了诉讼。一名联邦法官支持了他们。但本月，一家上诉法院表示，政府可以继续推进拨款发放。
After HUD tried to rework its homelessness grants to fit the administration’s preferred policies, a consortium of local governments and advocates for homeless people sued. A federal judge agreed with them . But this month, an appeals court said the administration could move ahead awarding grants.
此外，特朗普的预算提案还要求取消40亿美元的“持续照护”项目——该项目在2024年向6500个项目拨付了资金。当时，超过60%的资金流向了永久性支持住房，主要用于延续现有工作。只有1%流向了过渡性住房。
Also, Trump’s proposed budget calls for eliminating the $4 billion Continuum of Care program, which in 2024 awarded money to 6,500 projects. At that time, more than 60% went to permanent supportive housing, mostly to continue existing efforts. Just 1% went to transitional housing.
特朗普提出的政策变化让无家可归者服务机构手忙脚乱，它们要想办法调整自己的住房策略，以便继续获得联邦资金。
Trump’s proposed policy changes have left homelessness organizations scrambling to figure out how to alter their housing strategies so they can keep getting federal money.
肯塔基州科宾市的住房建设项目已被取消；加利福尼亚州圣克鲁兹县等地区的无家可归者可获得的住房资源也更加匮乏。在肯塔基州路易斯维尔市，一些非营利组织正在考虑将部分永久性住房设施临时改作临时住所使用。
Planned housing projects have been scrapped in Corbin, Kentucky. Less housing is available for those currently homeless in places including Santa Cruz County, California. In Louisville, Kentucky, nonprofits are looking at making some permanent housing temporary.
在加利福尼亚州圣克鲁兹县，官员们表示，如果该县失去用于提供永久性住房援助的资金，将会加剧因另一项联邦计划（即疫情期间发放的紧急住房补贴）逐步终止而引发的问题。那些即将失去这些补贴的人将被优先安排入住现有的住房设施，这意味着县政府目前无法为更多无家可归者提供帮助。
And in Santa Cruz County, California, officials said losing permanent supportive housing funds would exacerbate existing problems caused by the winding down of another federal program: pandemic-era emergency housing vouchers. People set to lose those vouchers are being prioritized for available housing, meaning the county can’t help as many people who are homeless now.