Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan appeared on The Daily Show this week to chat about homelessness and what the Obama administration is doing to solve it.
The biggest topic of conversation was homelessness among veterans, who Donovan said are 15% more likely to live on the street due to post traumatic stress disorder and other mental and emotional problems that go along with serving in combat, among other factors.
Donovan did point out some impressive figures. He said the Obama administration has decreased homelessness among veterans by 20%, and is on track to help most veterans find housing by the end of 2015. This year, officials put 15% more federal funding toward fixing the issue.
The HUD secretary and host Jon Stewart also discussed homelessness in the general population. Donovan said not enough credit is given to the administration for the savings associated with pulling people off the streets. He said each person living on the streets costs the government about $40,000 a year.
Toward the end of the interview, the attorneys general mortgage settlement was briefly discussed. In light of the homelessness topic, Donovan said it would help renters who are living in homes that have been foreclosed on by keeping them off the streets, while helping some people stay in their homes through principle write downs.
View the full interview in the videos below.
jhuseman@housingwire.com
@JessicaHuseman
