Federal law enforcement gains power over homeless services, mandatory treatment replaces housing cho
H.R. 4878 — MOSSA Act · Filed by Buddy Carter (R-GA) · 3 cosponsors · Introduced Aug 5, 2025 · Referred to committee
Your members of Congress
Enter a ZIP to see where your representative and both senators stood on this bill.
Looked up on this device — your ZIP is never stored on our servers.
What it does
This bill directs federal agencies to prioritize enforcement of laws against homelessness, drug use, and vagrancy, and to shift federal funding toward civil commitment, incarceration, and treatment-mandatory housing programs rather than 'housing first' approaches. It instructs the Attorney General to challenge court rulings and consent decrees that limit involuntary commitment, and requires HHS and HUD to defund harm-reduction programs and condition housing assistance on mandatory treatment and compliance with law enforcement data-sharing.
Why we flagged it
The bill's operative mechanism is a systematic redirection of federal policy and funding away from voluntary, low-barrier housing and harm-reduction services toward enforcement, civil commitment, and treatment-mandatory programs. It is not primarily about public safety infrastructure or housing supply; it is about changing the legal and administrative framework governing how homelessness is addressed.
What the text implies
- Data-sharing requirement (d)(5)(B) may expose homeless individuals' health and mental health information to law enforcement without explicit consent, creating a chilling effect on seeking services.
- Defunding of 'housing first' and harm-reduction programs (c)(1)(A) may reduce access to evidence-based interventions that some research suggests are effective, particularly for individuals with co-occurring disorders.
The full analysis lists 5 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
private correctional facilities and detention operators; psychiatric hospitals and residential treatment centers; law enforcement agencies (through grant prioritization and data-sharing infrastructure)