Longtime homelessness advocate and lawyer Maria Foscarinis’ new book, “And Housing for All: The Fight to End Homelessness in America,” reframes the way readers think about homelessness. Foscarinis, who was a chief architect of the nation’s main legislation addressing homelessness, calls for systemic change, sharing stories she has heard from the homeless community for the past 35 years.
Set to be published in June, “And Housing for All” is Foscarinis’ first book and comes after a lengthy legal career defending low-income and homeless populations as well as founding the National Coalition for the Homelessness, based in Washington, D.C., in 1985 and serving as the head of the National Homelessness Law Center for over three decades. She was also the chief architect of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, which provides federal funding for homeless shelter programs and specifically founded the federal Education for Homeless Children and Youth (EHCY) Program.
Foscarinis uses her legal and legislative expertise to call on lawmakers to address a lack of affordable housing head-on.
“Right now in this country, housing is not only not viewed as a human right, it is viewed as a commodity,” Foscarinis said in an interview with Street Sense Media.
In Washington D.C., the cost of housing is 144% higher than the national average, according to WTOP.news, and homelessness rates show the burden of this cost. According to reporting by Street Sense Media, D.C. had the “highest prevalence of homelessness” in 2023, with 73 out of 10,000 residents currently experiencing homelessness.
Foscarinis says widespread homelessness in D.C. and across the nation can be partially explained by the attitude people have towards those who are experiencing homelessness.
“Here in the U.S., often people who are homeless or poor are demonized,” she said. This stereotype has been around nearly as long as modern homelessness itself. “[President Ronald] Reagan also promoted a harmful narrative that people are homeless by choice, that they choose to be homeless, that is the language of Reagan, and you can still hear that language.”
During Reagan’s presidency in the 1980s, he cut swaths of funding to the U.S. Department of Housing and Development and nearly eliminated all federal spending on subsidized housing. By the end of Reagan’s term, the homeless population in the U.S. had increased to over 600,000, and the availability of low-cost rental units decreased by one million.
Foscarinis’ career and new book are dedicated to attempting to reverse such cuts and fight against the dehumanizing language often used for people in poverty by telling personal stories of those who are homeless. In her book, she features families who have lost parents to addiction, victims of last-minute eviction policies, and mothers trying to pay their children’s medical bills. Each of these experiences serves as a reminder to the reader that homelessness can happen to anybody.
But Foscarinis doesn’t only tell these stories, she also offers solutions. Foscarinis pointed to the effectiveness of social housing programs and increased social safety nets in countries like Finland and in cities like Vienna. Social housing usually comes in the form of government-subsidized, rent-restricted homes that reflect the needs of the communities that they serve, rather than market pricing rates. Local to the U.S., Foscarinis said Seattle, Washington, is an example of how city governments can educate the public about homelessness and affordable housing through organizations like House Our Neighbors. This change should start with decriminalizing homelessness, according to Foscarinis.
Criminalizing homelessness is common across the country, and includes bans on sleeping in public places, car camping, and arresting those who are on the streets. Enforcing these laws costs three times more than providing affordable housing for those who don’t have it, according to the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness. Instead, agencies like USICH argue that it is better to provide homeless individuals with mental health, food, and shelter services rather than jail time. Currently, USICH collaborates with private corporations to provide federal aid and services to those in need, giving those who are homeless more options and access to different services.
“And Housing For All” also argues for the importance of holding landlords accountable for fair eviction and rent notices, as well as the need to fully fund existing programs like housing choice vouchers. These programs are currently under threat from President Donald Trump’s administration.
“This is an unprecedented attack [on homelessness], but there have been attacks before,” she said.
Trump signed an executive order in late March that banned outdoor camping on federal lands in D.C.,increased encampment sweeps, and made substantial funding cuts to HUD. He also has said he plans to increase undefined treatment programs, but not housing programs. Foscarinis said her book is more relevant now than ever as she encourages advocates and those who are experiencing homelessness not to give up. Throughout the book, she stresses how important it is for everyday people and lawmakers to fight for homeless people, instead of abandoning them, particularly as the federal government takes a more hostile stance towards homelessness.
“It is not hopeless, it is possible to organize. It is very difficult to organize when you’re fighting for your survival,” Fosacrinis said in reference to those who are homeless “…but there are groups and people who care and can join your voice.”
