One of the ways in which President Trump's election was significant was that it was an election on quality of life, and against Blue State and Blue City governance.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the problem of homelessness, which has exploded in recent years and decade, particularly in blue jurisdictions. And as a new report from the American Institute of Boys and Men reminds us, homelessness in the US affects primarily men.

In 2024, an estimated 771,000 Americans experienced homelessness on a given night. Of these, 460,000 were men and 303,000 were women. In 2015, there were about 339,000 homeless men. Today, that number has ballooned to nearly half a million.

Men are also more likely to suffer in silence and isolation. Of homeless men, nearly 40% are unsheltered — living on the streets, in parks, cars, or abandoned buildings. In contrast, only 28% of homeless women are unsheltered. Men are less likely to be part of a family unit, and families are far more likely to receive shelter. While 93% of homeless individuals in families find shelter, only about half of single homeless individuals — and fewer men than women — are able to access these services.

Why are men so disproportionately affected? The report suggests a complex web of factors: job instability, housing insecurity, addiction, mental health issues, and social isolation. Yet even more troubling is the fact that these issues are often discussed in gender-neutral or even female-centric terms, leaving men’s specific vulnerabilities unaddressed. As a result, men are more likely to fall through the cracks.

Consider veterans: nearly 90% of homeless veterans are men. Among unaccompanied youth, men also represent the majority. And chronic homelessness — defined as long-term homelessness coupled with disabling conditions — is strongly skewed male. The men most in need of help are the least likely to get it.

The AIBM report highlighting that the problem of homelessness is a problem of men raises uncomfortable questions. Has this crisis been insufficiently addressed because of this gender gap? The good people at AIBM call on us to look at homelessness as a problem primarily affecting men. It might be a good idea.

Policy News You Need To Know

#HigherEd — Good article from AEI's Preston Cooper pointing out that the student loan pause, which ended in October 2024, was a catastrophe. The endless wrangling over extensions left low-information borrowers unready to deal with it when payments resumed. "Borrowers who miss payments on their loans will now see those delinquencies reported to credit bureaus, with even more serious consequences to come. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that some borrowers who missed payments saw their credit scores plummet by 100 points or more. Borrowers are bewildered. Many say they were unaware that payments had resumed."

#Reg — We follow Dan Goldbeck's "This Week In Regulation" and this week brings us the first Trump rule with an estimated economic cost reaching $1 billion dollars (over five years). It's a rule changing various compliance requirements for insurers on the ACA exchanges. "Presumably HHS will now need to promulgate at least 10 deregulatory actions with savings that match or exceed this action’s costs to stay in the putative good graces" of the Trump Administration rules on regulatory actions.

#Budget — The US government could run out of cash as soon as mid-July, requiring an increase to the debt limit before the September deadline we all thought had been written into law, according to a new analysis by the Bipartisan Policy Center.

#DEI — IWF is highlighting the story of a "26-year Secret Service veteran" who was allegedly denied a promotion because of DEI. Regardless of this specific allegation we know this stuff happens and we know it's a competence tax on the whole of society.

#Budget — One big pot of money to look for in reconciliation is America's giant non-profit sector. As Arnold Ventures' Scott Hodge, Roger Meiners, and Andrew P. Morriss point out in a new op-ed, American non-profits represents "roughly 15% of the U.S. economy, approximately $3.3 trillion in annual revenue," all of which is tax-free. And many of these non-profits do work of dubious value.

#TheEconomy #AI — Interesting: Epoch AI, a "research institute investigating the trajectory of AI" has released a new computer model that seeks to estimate the economic impact of AI.

#TheScience — Stanford University has published its yearly "Stanford Emerging Technology Review" which "helps America’s public and private sectors better understand transformational technologies so that the United States can seize opportunities, mitigate risks, and ensure its innovation ecosystem continues to thrive." We're sure it's full of interesting stuff.

#Immigration — CIS takes up anew the case of the French scientist allegedly denied entry to the US because of social media posts critical of the Trump Administration, concluding that it's likely not true.