Policy Alternative: The National Housing Trust Fund
Access to safe, permanent, and non-expensive housing has become a significant social problem, and millions of people in the United States continue to struggle with this challenge, especially among the marginalized population segment. Although Florida’s SHIP program has met some of these local requirements, the program needs to be extended to accommodate the scope and the sustainability of the program. This paper examines the National Housing Trust Fund as an alternative policy option to curb housing instability and its adverse effects: Policy Alternative: The National Housing Trust Fund.
The Alternative Policy
The National Housing Trust Fund (NHTF), a federal program run by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), is the alternative policy. NHTF can help finance the construction and maintenance of rental housing serving houses with extremely low incomes, including persons with disabilities, as well as those affected by current structural inequalities. The NHTF, unlike the SHIP program in Florida, is a long-term and sustainable financing program nationwide. It also takes care of profound housing shortages and focuses on disadvantaged groups by investing in affordable housing.
Changes in the Policy Alternative
The NHTF needs to be given more federal investments and revised allocation formulas to ensure high-need areas have a priority. Federal participation by HUD and Congress must change to increase their appropriations and ease the distribution method. At the state level, they need better outreach and implementation at the local housing and social service agencies, and better coordination (Augustine & Kushel, 2022). Such changes will ensure the availability of the policy to the most vulnerable groups of people in the fairest manner.
Congruent with Social Work Values
The NHTF aligns with the values of social work. It is consistent with the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics, which states the principle of social justice, the dignity and worth of the person, and the necessity of human relationships. Building housing as a fundamental right reduces structural inequalities by giving high priorities to groups of extremely low-income individuals, including marginalized groups (Hubley, 2025). It strengthens vulnerable populations and promotes stability, self-determination, and personal well-being.
Feasibility of the Alternative Policy
The feasibility of the NHTF is moderate but promising. It is favored by progressive legislators and housing activists politically, but it is opposed by fiscal conservatives who are afraid of federal spending. Financially, the strategy has a long-term economic benefit, signifying that it saves the state government money that it had spent on medical bills, shelters, and the criminal justice system. On an administrative level, the program is already managed by HUD, and most states have the framework to transfer funds already, and therefore is scalable and can be handled in a better coordinated manner.
Policy Alternatives and the Policy Goals
The NHTF satisfies essential policy objectives. It enhances social equality since it focuses on the needs of households that have an extremely low income and groups of people that are marginalized because they are disproportionately impacted by housing insecurity (Ale, 2025). It promotes redistribution of resources to affordable housing in underserved communities through federal funding (Gutierrez et al., 2021). The NHTF also corresponds to the social work values and ethics, such as social justice and the right to safe housing, outlined in the NASW Code of Ethics.
Forces for the Policy and Forces Against the Policy
The NHTF has proponents in the form of national housing advocacy groups such as the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC), Urban Institute, progressive policymakers, and social work groups such as the NASW. These groups advocate equal access to housing opportunities and the redistribution of resources. Those opposed to the policy are the fiscal conservatives, some real estate developers, as well as the local governments worried about the zoning powers and federal intervention. Such groups have tended to fight the hike in federal expenditures and involvement.
Policy Advocacy Skills to Support the Policy Alternative
Policy advocacy skills that are available to assist the NHTF include the ability to build coalitions with housing organizations, mobilize grassroots supporters to increase the awareness of the community, and engage in legislative lobbying, so as to influence policymakers. Advocacy is also enhanced through writing policy briefs, writing op-eds, and testifying during public hearings (McNutt, 2011). Reaching out to the media and telling stories about the clients may make the problem more humane. Collaboration with local agencies ensures informed, community-specific solutions that align with the ethical goals of social work (Jansson, 2017).
Impact of the Policy Alternative on Clinical Social Work Practice with Clients
The NHTF has a positive impact on clinical social work practice by working on the root cause of instability in clients’ housing. In the situation when clients receive access to safe, affordable, and permanent housing, there is a greater possibility to enroll in a therapy process, follow prescribed treatment, stay employed, and reconnect with families. Housing security cuts down stress, enhances mental health, and encourages the continuity of care (Dunn et al., 2024). With the NHTF, the social workers can work on long-term healing, not crisis intervention.
Changes Needed to Support Clients Seeking Clinical Services
To better support clients seeking clinical services, it is possible to add a provision of integrated supportive services, including onsite mental health care, substance use treatment, and case management, to the NHTF. Simplifying application procedures and expanding the service to vulnerable groups could enhance access to clients with complex needs. Moreover, setting aside particular funds on trauma-informed housing and collaboration with healthcare providers will allow for the direct correlation of housing solutions with therapeutic objectives.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the National Housing Trust Fund can be more effective and morally correct than state-limited programs such as SHIP in handling housing insecurity. With some wise changes and greater investment, it can cause changes in the lives of people and their communities, providing them with equal access to housing. To social workers, the NHTF is consistent with professional values and supports making advocacy and clinical practice more effective.
References
Ale, T. A. (2025). Shared homeownership and the pursuit of affordable housing: Insights from low-to-medium income earners in Akure, Nigeria. Discover Civil Engineering, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44290-025-00218-8
Augustine, D., & Kushel, M. (2022). Community supervision, housing insecurity, and homelessness. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 701(1), 152–171. https://doi.org/10.1177/00027162221113983
Dunn, J. R., Smith, K. L. W., Smith, P., Moineddin, R., Matheson, F. I., Hwang, S. W., Muntaner, C., Janus, M., & O’Campo, P. (2024). Does receipt of social housing impact mental health? Results of a quasi-experimental study in the Greater Toronto Area. Social Science & Medicine, 362, 117363. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.117363
Gutierrez, E. C., Allan, E., & Haberle, M. (2021). The National Housing Trust Fund and Fair Housing: A set of policy recommendations. Poverty & Race Research Action Council. https://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep32130
Hubley, D. (2025). The intersectional nature of housing in the United States: Why we should focus on housing first, why we don’t & implications for the social work profession. Journal of Policy Practice and Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42972-025-00120-8
Jansson, B. S. (2017). Empowerment series: Becoming an effective policy advocate (8th ed.). Cengage Learning. https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9798214338224
McNutt, J. (2011). Is social work advocacy worth the cost? Issues and barriers to an economic analysis of social work political practice. Research on Social Work Practice, 21(4), 397–403. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049731510386624
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Question 
Final Project Milestone 4: Policy Alternative
.Textbook:
- Becoming An Effective Policy Advocate
- Article: https://journals.sagepub.com/
doi/epdf/10.1177/ 1049731510386624
***As an astute social worker and professional policy advocate, once you have selected and identified a social problem, you begin the process of creating and implementing a policy that addresses that social problem. One of the first things you do in the implementation process is an analysis of the social policy you identified. There is always the possibility that the policy created and implemented to address the social problem you identified is not viable for a variety of reasons.
In this case, you must explore a policy alternative.
In Part 4 of your ongoing Social Change Project assignment, you will identify a policy alternative to better alleviate the social problem you identified.
Policy Alternative: The National Housing Trust Fund
***To Prepare:
- Review the article by McNutt in the Learning Resources this week.
- Review your previous Final Project Milestone Assignments and your Instructor feedback. Consider the following:
- Identification of a Social Problem (Week 2)
- Issue Statement (Week 4)
- Identification of a Policy (Week 4)
- Social Advocacy Proposal (Week 6)
- Based on your work to date, including your insights into the selected social problem, careful analysis of a policy, and goals for advocacy, identify a policy alternative that would work to better alleviate the social problem while mitigating adverse impacts for the relevant populations.
- Search for and select at least five scholarly articles to support your selection and review of a policy alternative.
***QUESTION
Submit a 3- to 4-page paper that addresses the following:
- *What is the policy alternative?
- *What, if any, change(s) in the policy alternative are necessary, and where will they need to occur (local or state)?
- *Is this policy alternative congruent with social work values? Explain.
- *What is the feasibility of the alternative policy (political, economic, and administrative)?
- *Does the policy alternative meet the policy goals (e.g., social equality, redistribution of resources, social work values, and ethics)?
- *What are the forces that are for the policy? What are the forces that are against the policy?
- *What policy advocacy skills can be used to support the policy alternative?
- *How does the policy alternative affect clinical social work practice with clients?
- *What changes could be made in the policy to support the needs of clients seeking clinical services?
Be sure to incorporate at least five scholarly articles you found using standard APA format.