Jennifer Ludden
👤 SpeakerAppearances Over Time
Podcast Appearances
The Trump administration has criticized that approach and wants a major shift toward transitional housing and forced treatment.
Local providers worry that could push many people back onto the streets.
Jennifer Ludden, NPR News, Washington.
Two years ago, Flint, Michigan started providing all women $1,500 during pregnancy and $500 a month for a baby's first year.
The aim was to tackle a peak time for poverty when many women cut back on work even as they face higher costs.
The program has since expanded to 42 communities in the state.
Now, a new study in The Lancet Public Health finds far fewer babies in Flint born prematurely or with low birth weight.
That means saving millions in health care spending.
Other research has found those mothers faced fewer evictions, less hunger, and had better mental health.
The pediatrician behind the program says there will also be long-term benefits, since the first year of a child's life is crucial for brain development.
This annual count was taken way back in January 2025.
The federal housing agency HUD released the report months later than usual.
It found the number of people sleeping outside or in shelters was down more than 3 percent to about 745,000, a bit fewer than a record high the year before.
In a statement, the National Alliance to End Homelessness says that decline proved that programs to get people into permanent housing do work.
The Trump administration has criticized that approach and wants a major shift toward transitional housing and forced treatment.
Local providers worry that could push many people back onto the streets.
Jennifer Ludden, NPR News, Washington.
Two years ago, Flint, Michigan started providing all women $1,500 during pregnancy and $500 a month for a baby's first year.
The aim was to tackle a peak time for poverty, when many women cut back on work even as they face higher costs.