Jennifer Ludden, NPR
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A key goal of cash is getting people housed faster. -
The decision is a win for Western cities that wanted more powers to manage record homelessness. But advocates say it won't solve the larger problem. -
Across the country, including in swing states, people have been priced out of buying homes. Record numbers are finding rent unaffordable. -
Justices heard an Oregon city's appeal of lower court rulings that it's "cruel and unusual" to fine or jail people on public land if no shelter is available. -
Homelessness has been rising since 2017 in large part because of the country's massive shortage of affordable housing. -
Advocacy groups and researchers say a big driving force is the decline of affordable housing, a problem decades in the making. -
Alternative financing arrangements can be the only option for low-income Americans. But they lack the same protections as a mortgage, and many end up paying for years without ever gaining ownership.
