Our Role

The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) is the only federal agency solely dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness in the United States. 

We harness the collective power of 19 federal agencies—members of our Council—to drive a coordinated federal homelessness strategy and to support state and local efforts to prevent and end homelessness. 

Our Values

USICH believes:

• Homelessness is deadly but preventable
• Homelessness is the failure of systems—not the people who are failed by those systems 
• Systemic racism is a root cause of homelessness
• Housing is health care
• Housing is a human right
• It is not a crime to be homeless
• People who have experienced homelessness must be in positions of power to shape federal, state, and local policy
• Data and evidence are the foundations of effective policymaking
• Housing is the first step toward a better life—but for many, it’s not sustainable without robust wraparound supports
• The federal government has a duty to listen to local needs and support local innovation

Our History

USICH was originally authorized by Congress through Title II of the landmark Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987 to serve as an independent establishment in the executive branch. The agency was most recently reauthorized by the 2009 Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act. View the USICH bylaws.