Late 19th century
1932
1908
Homeless population
1892
1930s
1933
1940s/post WW2
Timeline
1956 & 1965
1974
1949
1968
1983
1990
1977
1970s/1980s
1987
2012
2025
2002-2003
2022-2023
2010
References
Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program. EFSP. (n.d.).https://efsp.unitedway.org/efsp/website/websiteContents/index.cfmLibrary of Congress. (n.d.-a). Text - H.R.4232 - Ending Homelessness Act of 2023. https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/4232/textPermanent Supportive Housing : Evaluating the Evidence for Improving Health Outcomes among People ExperiencingChronic Homelessness. (2018). The National Academies Press. Permanent Supportive Housing: Evaluating the Evidence for Improving Health Outcomes Among People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness.National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Board on PopulationHealth and Public Health Practice; Policy and Global Affairs; Science and Technology for Sustainability Program; Committee on an Evaluation of Per. (July 11, 2018) Appendix B: History of Homelessness in the United States. In National Library of Medicine https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519584/Racial Equity Impact Note. (n.d.). Unhoused Individuals - Rights and Affirmative Defense. https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/Pubs/BudgetFiscal/2026RS-SB0105-REIN.pdfRacial Equity Impact Note. (n.d.). Unhoused Individuals - Rights and Affirmative Defense https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/Pubs/BudgetFiscal/2026RS-SB0105-REIN.pdf Rhode Island’s homeless bill of rights – rhode island coalition to end homelessness. (n.d.). https://rihomeless.org/hbor/ The McKinney-vento homeless assistance act. NCHE. (n.d.). https://nche.ed.gov/legislation/mckinney-vento/ The United States Government. (2025, July 24). Ending crime and disorder on america’s streets. The White House.https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/07/ending-crime-and-disorder-on-americas-streets/
Wagner, J., Brazil, N., Buggs, S., & Ko, M. (2025). Relationships between historical redlining, contemporary housing marketdynamics, racial composition, and mental health in U.S. urban neighborhoods: A conditional process analysis. Social Science & Medicine, 379, Article 118180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118180
Office of HIV/AIDs Housing in HUD was created to manage and increase housing opportunites for those living with the condition. This was created under the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act due to inadequate resources for those in need of supports and faced discrimination (Permanent Supportive Housing : Evaluating the Evidence for Improving Health Outcomes among People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness, 2018).
1990
1977
Creation of the Stewart B McKinney Homeless Assistance Act. This created a formal definition of homelessness within legislature to help allocate resources and promote funding (NCHE, n.d.).
1940s - Post WW2
Urbanization increased the need for affordable housing. This led to government interventions such as the Lanham Act and The Veteran's Administration Home Loan Program.Lanham Act: Authorized construction of temporary housing for war workers. Veteran's Administration Home Loan Program: Helped veterans secure housing after the war, this contributed to the growth of suburban areas.
Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act (Fair Housing Act) was enacted providing fair housing to prevent discrimination when it came to access to housing (Permanent Supportive Housing : Evaluating the Evidence for Improving Health Outcomes among People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness, 2018).
1968
The Obama Administration enacted a strategic plan to end homelessness which included four goals. - Prevent and end homelessness of veterans in five years. - End chronic homelessness in seven years. - Prevent and end all homelessness of families and children in ten years. - Set path ro end all types of homelessness. (Permanent Supportive Housing : Evaluating the Evidence for Improving Health Outcomes among People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness, 2018)
2010
2025
Executive Order 14321 (Ending Crime and Disorders on America’s Streets) grants federal action to gain more law enforcement and restrictions on the typical “housing first” approach. This favors treatment of mental illness and addiction as a condition for housing. This increased funding for law enforcement to dismantle encampments and enforce stricter laws. This also mandates data sharing between social services and law enforcement. This order potentially criminalizes the homeless, increases policing of vulnerable population, and risks displacement with not enough housing (United States Government, July 24, 2025).
Chronic homelessness initiative requested state and local jurisdictions to create a 10-year plan to end homelessness in 2002. In 2003, this initiative was furthered to create permenant supportive housing programs (Permanent Supportive Housing : Evaluating the Evidence for Improving Health Outcomes among People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness, 2018).
2002-2003
1983
Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program was created. This provided financial assistance to families and individuals in need. This includes things like rent, meals, sheltered nights, and utility payments. This was funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) (Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program, n.d.)
Late 19th Century
Policies regarding homelessness in this time were in the hands on state and local authorities. Cities were overcrowded, non-hygienic, and were a hotspot for infectious disease. This was a result of early urbanization and furthered homelessness and dangers for the homeless.
1908
Theodore Roosevelt formed a housing commision to continue investigations on the housing and urbanization crisis. The efforts had to come to a halt due to the stock market crash of 1929 (Permanent Supportive Housing : Evaluating the Evidence for Improving Health Outcomes among People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness, 2018).
2012
First Homeless Bill of Rights was signed into law in Rhode Island. The goal of this bill was to protect the rights of the homeless and ensure equal treatment, access to public spaces, and non-discrimination in healthcare, employment, and housing. This was enacted in Maryland in February of 2026 but not federally mandated yet (Rihomeless, n.d.) & (Racial Equity Impact Note, 2026)..
March 2022
WHO releases data showing that the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a 25% increase in anxiety and depression worldwide, with young people and women at the highest risk.
The number of recorded deaths due to COVID-19 reaches 976,229, with more than 79,853,683 total reported cases of the virus in the U.S.
1892
Congress allocated $20,000 (equivalent to approximately $718,208 today) to the Department of Labor (DOL) to investigate impoverished urban areas where more than 200,000 people resided (Permanent Supportive Housing : Evaluating the Evidence for Improving Health Outcomes among People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness, 2018).
2022-2023
Nearly 30,000 hospitalizations were recorded for patients experiencing homelessness. This highlights this population's vast healthcare needs. The Ending Homelessness Act of 2023 was proposed and the intention was to provide mandatory housing funding for the homeless and expand services (Library of Congress, n.d.).
1970s-1980s
Establishment of dedicated homelessness services such as shelters and outreach programs. Homelessness was recognized as a social issue. The HIV/AIDs was very prevelant within the homeless community creating intersectionality where these conditions commonly co-occured. With limited
resources and research, these indivudals were susceptible to further discrimination and left without proper access to much needed healthcare (Permanent Supportive Housing : Evaluating the Evidence for Improving Health Outcomes among People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness, 2018).
March 2022
WHO releases data showing that the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a 25% increase in anxiety and depression worldwide, with young people and women at the highest risk.
The number of recorded deaths due to COVID-19 reaches 976,229, with more than 79,853,683 total reported cases of the virus in the U.S.
1930s - The Great Depression
The number of homeless individuals greatly increased and the quality of housing and cities diminished. This was due to limited resources and decreased funding (Permanent Supportive Housing : Evaluating the Evidence for Improving Health Outcomes among People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness, 2018).
March 2022
WHO releases data showing that the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a 25% increase in anxiety and depression worldwide, with young people and women at the highest risk.
The number of recorded deaths due to COVID-19 reaches 976,229, with more than 79,853,683 total reported cases of the virus in the U.S.
1987
Initiation of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. This act ensured that children experiencing homelessness can enroll and attend school, remain in the school district of the last household, and enroll without records of items like residency, birth certificate, and immunizations. This also created a goal to house the homeless within 30 days. This was reauthorized and signed in 2009 (NCHE, n.d.).
1974
Housing and Community Development Act was created. This combined urban development with the community development block grant (CDBG) program. This created section eight programs to provide low-income hoursing with subsides paid to a private vector (Permanent Supportive Housing : Evaluating the Evidence for Improving Health Outcomes among People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness, 2018).
1932
Creation of the Emergency Relief and Construction Act of 1932. This act authorizaed reconstruction corporations to lend funds in order to increased housing for low-income families (Permanent Supportive Housing : Evaluating the Evidence for Improving Health Outcomes among People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness, 2018).
1956 and 1965
Housing act of 1956 was enacted to create relocation payments to families who were displaced by urban renewal initiatives. In 1965, the Housing and Renewal Act was enacted to create rent-assistance for low-income households and those who were elderly or disabled (Permanent Supportive Housing : Evaluating the Evidence for Improving Health Outcomes among People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness, 2018).
1933
Creation of the National Industrial Recovery Act of 1933. This act allowed public administration to use federal funding for clearance of under-resourced communities and construction of affordable housing. During this time, approximately 40,000 housing units were built (Permanent Supportive Housing : Evaluating the Evidence for Improving Health Outcomes among People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness, 2018).
1949
Creation of the Housing Act of 1949. This act was put in place as a result of severe housing shortages post-WW2 and the Great Depression. The goal was to allow for more comfortable living environments and renewal programs. This in turn had negative impacts as segregation of the time prevented minorities from gaining housing access after becoming displaced. This destoryed their housing opportunity (Permanent Supportive Housing : Evaluating the Evidence for Improving Health Outcomes among People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness, 2018).
Homeless population
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Transcript
Late 19th century
1932
1908
Homeless population
1892
1930s
1933
1940s/post WW2
Timeline
1956 & 1965
1974
1949
1968
1983
1990
1977
1970s/1980s
1987
2012
2025
2002-2003
2022-2023
2010
References
Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program. EFSP. (n.d.).https://efsp.unitedway.org/efsp/website/websiteContents/index.cfmLibrary of Congress. (n.d.-a). Text - H.R.4232 - Ending Homelessness Act of 2023. https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/4232/textPermanent Supportive Housing : Evaluating the Evidence for Improving Health Outcomes among People ExperiencingChronic Homelessness. (2018). The National Academies Press. Permanent Supportive Housing: Evaluating the Evidence for Improving Health Outcomes Among People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness.National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Board on PopulationHealth and Public Health Practice; Policy and Global Affairs; Science and Technology for Sustainability Program; Committee on an Evaluation of Per. (July 11, 2018) Appendix B: History of Homelessness in the United States. In National Library of Medicine https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519584/Racial Equity Impact Note. (n.d.). Unhoused Individuals - Rights and Affirmative Defense. https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/Pubs/BudgetFiscal/2026RS-SB0105-REIN.pdfRacial Equity Impact Note. (n.d.). Unhoused Individuals - Rights and Affirmative Defense https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/Pubs/BudgetFiscal/2026RS-SB0105-REIN.pdf Rhode Island’s homeless bill of rights – rhode island coalition to end homelessness. (n.d.). https://rihomeless.org/hbor/ The McKinney-vento homeless assistance act. NCHE. (n.d.). https://nche.ed.gov/legislation/mckinney-vento/ The United States Government. (2025, July 24). Ending crime and disorder on america’s streets. The White House.https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/07/ending-crime-and-disorder-on-americas-streets/ Wagner, J., Brazil, N., Buggs, S., & Ko, M. (2025). Relationships between historical redlining, contemporary housing marketdynamics, racial composition, and mental health in U.S. urban neighborhoods: A conditional process analysis. Social Science & Medicine, 379, Article 118180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118180
Office of HIV/AIDs Housing in HUD was created to manage and increase housing opportunites for those living with the condition. This was created under the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act due to inadequate resources for those in need of supports and faced discrimination (Permanent Supportive Housing : Evaluating the Evidence for Improving Health Outcomes among People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness, 2018).
1990
1977
Creation of the Stewart B McKinney Homeless Assistance Act. This created a formal definition of homelessness within legislature to help allocate resources and promote funding (NCHE, n.d.).
1940s - Post WW2
Urbanization increased the need for affordable housing. This led to government interventions such as the Lanham Act and The Veteran's Administration Home Loan Program.Lanham Act: Authorized construction of temporary housing for war workers. Veteran's Administration Home Loan Program: Helped veterans secure housing after the war, this contributed to the growth of suburban areas.
Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act (Fair Housing Act) was enacted providing fair housing to prevent discrimination when it came to access to housing (Permanent Supportive Housing : Evaluating the Evidence for Improving Health Outcomes among People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness, 2018).
1968
The Obama Administration enacted a strategic plan to end homelessness which included four goals. - Prevent and end homelessness of veterans in five years. - End chronic homelessness in seven years. - Prevent and end all homelessness of families and children in ten years. - Set path ro end all types of homelessness. (Permanent Supportive Housing : Evaluating the Evidence for Improving Health Outcomes among People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness, 2018)
2010
2025
Executive Order 14321 (Ending Crime and Disorders on America’s Streets) grants federal action to gain more law enforcement and restrictions on the typical “housing first” approach. This favors treatment of mental illness and addiction as a condition for housing. This increased funding for law enforcement to dismantle encampments and enforce stricter laws. This also mandates data sharing between social services and law enforcement. This order potentially criminalizes the homeless, increases policing of vulnerable population, and risks displacement with not enough housing (United States Government, July 24, 2025).
Chronic homelessness initiative requested state and local jurisdictions to create a 10-year plan to end homelessness in 2002. In 2003, this initiative was furthered to create permenant supportive housing programs (Permanent Supportive Housing : Evaluating the Evidence for Improving Health Outcomes among People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness, 2018).
2002-2003
1983
Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program was created. This provided financial assistance to families and individuals in need. This includes things like rent, meals, sheltered nights, and utility payments. This was funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) (Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program, n.d.)
Late 19th Century
Policies regarding homelessness in this time were in the hands on state and local authorities. Cities were overcrowded, non-hygienic, and were a hotspot for infectious disease. This was a result of early urbanization and furthered homelessness and dangers for the homeless.
1908
Theodore Roosevelt formed a housing commision to continue investigations on the housing and urbanization crisis. The efforts had to come to a halt due to the stock market crash of 1929 (Permanent Supportive Housing : Evaluating the Evidence for Improving Health Outcomes among People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness, 2018).
2012
First Homeless Bill of Rights was signed into law in Rhode Island. The goal of this bill was to protect the rights of the homeless and ensure equal treatment, access to public spaces, and non-discrimination in healthcare, employment, and housing. This was enacted in Maryland in February of 2026 but not federally mandated yet (Rihomeless, n.d.) & (Racial Equity Impact Note, 2026)..
March 2022
WHO releases data showing that the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a 25% increase in anxiety and depression worldwide, with young people and women at the highest risk. The number of recorded deaths due to COVID-19 reaches 976,229, with more than 79,853,683 total reported cases of the virus in the U.S.
1892
Congress allocated $20,000 (equivalent to approximately $718,208 today) to the Department of Labor (DOL) to investigate impoverished urban areas where more than 200,000 people resided (Permanent Supportive Housing : Evaluating the Evidence for Improving Health Outcomes among People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness, 2018).
2022-2023
Nearly 30,000 hospitalizations were recorded for patients experiencing homelessness. This highlights this population's vast healthcare needs. The Ending Homelessness Act of 2023 was proposed and the intention was to provide mandatory housing funding for the homeless and expand services (Library of Congress, n.d.).
1970s-1980s
Establishment of dedicated homelessness services such as shelters and outreach programs. Homelessness was recognized as a social issue. The HIV/AIDs was very prevelant within the homeless community creating intersectionality where these conditions commonly co-occured. With limited
resources and research, these indivudals were susceptible to further discrimination and left without proper access to much needed healthcare (Permanent Supportive Housing : Evaluating the Evidence for Improving Health Outcomes among People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness, 2018).
March 2022
WHO releases data showing that the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a 25% increase in anxiety and depression worldwide, with young people and women at the highest risk. The number of recorded deaths due to COVID-19 reaches 976,229, with more than 79,853,683 total reported cases of the virus in the U.S.
1930s - The Great Depression
The number of homeless individuals greatly increased and the quality of housing and cities diminished. This was due to limited resources and decreased funding (Permanent Supportive Housing : Evaluating the Evidence for Improving Health Outcomes among People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness, 2018).
March 2022
WHO releases data showing that the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a 25% increase in anxiety and depression worldwide, with young people and women at the highest risk. The number of recorded deaths due to COVID-19 reaches 976,229, with more than 79,853,683 total reported cases of the virus in the U.S.
1987
Initiation of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. This act ensured that children experiencing homelessness can enroll and attend school, remain in the school district of the last household, and enroll without records of items like residency, birth certificate, and immunizations. This also created a goal to house the homeless within 30 days. This was reauthorized and signed in 2009 (NCHE, n.d.).
1974
Housing and Community Development Act was created. This combined urban development with the community development block grant (CDBG) program. This created section eight programs to provide low-income hoursing with subsides paid to a private vector (Permanent Supportive Housing : Evaluating the Evidence for Improving Health Outcomes among People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness, 2018).
1932
Creation of the Emergency Relief and Construction Act of 1932. This act authorizaed reconstruction corporations to lend funds in order to increased housing for low-income families (Permanent Supportive Housing : Evaluating the Evidence for Improving Health Outcomes among People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness, 2018).
1956 and 1965
Housing act of 1956 was enacted to create relocation payments to families who were displaced by urban renewal initiatives. In 1965, the Housing and Renewal Act was enacted to create rent-assistance for low-income households and those who were elderly or disabled (Permanent Supportive Housing : Evaluating the Evidence for Improving Health Outcomes among People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness, 2018).
1933
Creation of the National Industrial Recovery Act of 1933. This act allowed public administration to use federal funding for clearance of under-resourced communities and construction of affordable housing. During this time, approximately 40,000 housing units were built (Permanent Supportive Housing : Evaluating the Evidence for Improving Health Outcomes among People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness, 2018).
1949
Creation of the Housing Act of 1949. This act was put in place as a result of severe housing shortages post-WW2 and the Great Depression. The goal was to allow for more comfortable living environments and renewal programs. This in turn had negative impacts as segregation of the time prevented minorities from gaining housing access after becoming displaced. This destoryed their housing opportunity (Permanent Supportive Housing : Evaluating the Evidence for Improving Health Outcomes among People Experiencing Chronic Homelessness, 2018).