Robert Marbut Jr. was named as the next head of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness Wednesday. This largely unknown independent agency coordinates homlessness policy across more than a dozen federal agencies.
Marbut may prove controversial as President Trump鈥檚 choice. The former San Antonio city councilman and first CEO for Haven for Hope 鈥� Bexar County鈥檚 consolidated shelter and homeless services campus 鈥� espouses views on addressing homelessness that many argue are out of step with current approaches. He has been critical of 鈥渉ousing first鈥� policies as well as street feeding programs.
The appointment drew swift rebukes from top homeless advocates like Diane Yentel, President and CEO of the National Low-Income Housing Coalition, who said in a tweet.
鈥淩obert Marbut鈥檚 references to 鈥渟treet feedings鈥� turn my stomach. Extraordinarily and purposefully dehumanizing language. 鈥�
Robert Marbut鈥檚 references to 鈥渟treet feedings鈥� turn my stomach. Extraordinarily and purposefully dehumanizing language. Change a few words and this headline could鈥檝e been written about rats - that鈥檚 not accidental. Dangerous & despicable. 鈥� Diane Yentel (@dianeyentel)
President Trump has signaled he wants a different strategy and has been increasingly vocal against homelessness in left-leaning cities and states.
Marbut consulted with cities on homelessness for years. In the past he has argued for policies that drive homeless men and women to services rather than meet them on the streets. Some say these policies are used to criminalize people without homes.
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In many interviews Marbut has said he disagrees with 鈥渉ousing first鈥� policies that put people in homes before trying to address mental health and addiction issues, pointing to his work at Haven For Hope which interweaves treatment with housing efforts.
鈥淭he first 2,000 people who went through Haven for Hope had a 12 percent higher success rate than the national average than housing first,鈥� Marbut told TPR in 2015.
He is an ardent critic of so-called 鈥渟treet feeding鈥� programs, arguing the process only enables people to remain on the street and doesn鈥檛 address the root cause of their homelessness.
鈥淭he best thing to do is to locate a feeding program鈥� with the core treatment programs that deal with mental health and substance abuse,鈥� Marbut said on TPR鈥檚 The Source in 2015.
Back in 2015, San Antonio was in the midst of an uproar about ticketing people feeding the homeless. Despite counseling cities used this ticketing approach, Marbut was adamant that he didn鈥檛 agree with it.
鈥淚f we鈥檙e trying to have homeless people graduate from the street, that happens when you鈥檙e in a 24/7 program. On one side, the far-right has a tendency to want to arrest people, that鈥檚 simply doesn鈥檛 work. Likewise the far-left has this idea that there鈥檚 no accountability in recovery and it鈥檚 ok to hang out on a park bench,鈥� he said.
All indications are that he may have been brought in to facilitate a stronger, 鈥渇ar-right鈥� strategy though.
in the fall that the administration was considering raising tent camps in California and placing the people who live there in temporary facilities, the legalities of such a move are still in question. Critics say practice simply hides homelessness rather than addressing it.
Marbut will be confirmed to the post pending a vote at the Interagency On Homelessness鈥� Dec. 10 meeting.
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Marbut ran a consulting company on homelessness from San Antonio for several years. It鈥檚 unclear if he still runs it as the website no longer functions.
His history in the city extends beyond the homeless though. He has advised several politicians on both sides of the aisle, including former Mayor Henry Cisneros in the 1980s. Marbut reportedly coined the name of the
Paul Flahive can be reached at Paul@tpr.org or on Twitter .
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