How Andrew Cuomo Can Stand Out on Homelessness

As Andrew Cuomo reenters New York’s political spotlight, he confronts a homelessness crisis shaped in part by his own policies. During his tenure as governor, Cuomo oversaw the closure of more than 660 state psychiatric hospital beds—displacing potentially dangerous individuals and limiting access to care for those already living on the streets. His mayoral campaign, recognizing the scope of the problem, has acknowledged public concern over encounters with “mentally ill homeless person[s].”

Manhattan Institute Senior Fellow Stephen Eide argues that Cuomo should return to the homelessness strategies he supported before becoming governor—namely, the “continuum of care” model and transitional housing. Embracing these policies would signal a break from the increasingly dominant “Housing First” approach, which holds that the homeless should be granted permanent housing, unconditionally. The question now is whether Cuomo will revisit a more balanced model—or stay tethered to the failed orthodoxy of the present.

“By drawing on his past work,” Eide writes, Cuomo “can present a more inspiring vision, one that affirms the need for permanent housing for some homeless people but rejects warehousing those capable of a better life.”

Read the rest of Eide’s article here.

Few groups have more aggressively resisted DOGE’s cost-cutting agenda than federal unions. From discouraging workers from accepting buyout offers to filing lawsuits aimed at derailing the Elon Musk–led initiative, the unions have fought the White House’s government-efficiency campaign at every step.

Jarrett Skorup and Steve Delie argue that it’s time for Congress to end federal employees’ collective-bargaining rights. “If Elon Musk’s clash with unions helps bring about the repeal of federal collective-bargaining rights,” they write, “he will have done taxpayers a lasting service.” The broader question now facing lawmakers: Will Washington finally confront the entrenched power of public-sector unions—or allow bureaucratic resistance to stall reform yet again?

Read their argument here.

Last week, the Trump administration said that it had suspended more than $100 million in federal funding for the University of Pennsylvania over its policies letting men compete in women’s sports. This is exactly the right move, argues Colin Wright, an evolutionary biologist and fellow at the Manhattan Institute. “The underlying principle is clear: institutions that disregard fairness and biological reality should not expect federal financial support,” he says.

When Mike Duggan became mayor of Detroit in 2014, the city was mired in bankruptcy and decline. But by focusing on public safety, streamlining permitting, and encouraging private investment, Duggan has helped drive a remarkable turnaround. As Patrick Pullis writes, his leadership presents a compelling alternative to the progressive governance model so often embraced by blue-city mayors.

“‘Non-government organizations’ are just government organizations without any accountability to the voter or the taxpayer.”

Photo credits: Johnny Nunez / Contributor / WireImage via Getty Images