One Year Later: Homelessness Is Not Solved by Punishment. It Is Solved by Housing. 

Today, July 24, marks one year since President Trump issued his Executive Order on homelessness—an action that signaled a dramatic shift in the federal government’s approach to people experiencing homelessness. 

One year later, the direction is increasingly clear. Rather than strengthening the systems that help people move from homelessness to stability, federal policy is moving toward enforcement, institutionalization, and away from proven housing interventions. 

At Primo Center, we know there is a better way because we see it every day. 

For nearly 50 years, Primo Center has worked alongside families experiencing homelessness in Chicago. We provide shelter, permanent supportive housing, behavioral health services, early childhood supports, and intensive case management. Our work is grounded in a simple principle: homelessness is fundamentally a housing problem, and housing must be paired with the individualized support people need to remain stable. 

Families Cannot Be Punished Out of Homelessness 

The national conversation about homelessness too often focuses on its most visible manifestations—encampments, people sleeping outdoors, mental illness, and substance use. 

That is not the full picture of homelessness in America. 

At Primo Center, we see parents trying desperately to keep their children safe. We see families priced out of apartments they could once afford. We see people working while experiencing homelessness. And we see parents simultaneously navigating trauma, childcare, employment barriers, and an extraordinarily difficult housing market. 

These families do not need punishment. 

They need a safe place to sleep tonight and a realistic pathway to permanent housing tomorrow. 

Housing Is the Foundation. Support Builds Stability. 

We also know that some people need more than a set of keys. 

Permanent supportive housing recognizes that individuals and families who have experienced chronic homelessness, disabilities, trauma, or significant behavioral health challenges may need ongoing services to remain successfully housed. 

That is why Primo Center’s work extends far beyond shelter. 

Our teams help people access healthcare and behavioral health services, build income, navigate benefits, strengthen family stability, and secure permanent housing. We address the circumstances surrounding homelessness rather than simply moving people from one temporary location to another. 

Housing provides the foundation. Services help people build stability upon it. 

Federal policy should invest in these solutions—not dismantle them. 

We Know What Works 

There is no single pathway into homelessness, and no single program will solve it. 

But we know a great deal about what works: affordable housing, permanent supportive housing, accessible behavioral healthcare, rental assistance and eviction prevention, employment and income supports, and strong partnerships that surround families with the services they need to regain stability. 

We also need to stop talking about people experiencing homelessness as though they are the problem we are trying to solve. Homelessness is the problem. People are not. 

At Primo Center, we will continue advocating for policies that recognize the dignity, humanity, and potential of every person we serve. We will continue helping families move from crisis to stability. And we will continue defending approaches grounded in evidence, compassion, accountability, and results. 

One year after this Executive Order, our country faces a choice. 

We can respond to homelessness through enforcement, displacement, and institutionalization. 

Or we can actually reduce homelessness by ensuring people have access to housing, healthcare, economic opportunity, and the support necessary to build stable lives. 

At Primo Center, we know which path works. Please consider making a donation to support this vital work in the face of federal uncertainty. 

Housing ends homelessness. And dignity must remain at the center of how we get there.