The Latest Former Federal Homelessness Czar Joins Discovery Institute’s Center on Wealth & Poverty as a Senior Fellow
Seattle – Robert Marbut, a renowned expert on homelessness, has been named to Discovery Institute’s Center on Wealth & Poverty as a senior fellow.
“The Center on Wealth & Poverty has been a national leader in shining a hot spotlight on the flawed federal homelessness polices.” Said Marbut. “Sadly, these policies have created a homelessness crisis in the United States that has become a national disaster, with far reaching negative effects on both individuals experiencing homelessness and local communities.”
A major project of the Center on Wealth & Poverty is the Fixhomelessness.org website which focuses on and reports about the root causes of homelessness and recommends public policies that address those causes, not just surface needs. The project exposes the false narratives and unsuccessful progressive policies which have not only failed to address the problem, but have made it worse. Marbut’s long history of work on homelessness will complement Discovery’s efforts.
“I am looking forward to focusing on the real root causes of homelessness, such as mental health and substance use diseases, and promoting public policies that will really work to reduce homelessness,” added Marbut.
Marbut has a PhD in Political Behavior and American Political Institutions and his career has been marked by bipartisanship having served as Chief of Staff for San Antonio Mayor Henry Cisneros in the 1980s, as a White House Fellow under George H. W. Bush, and most recently as the Executive Director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness from 2019 to 2021 under both the Trump and Biden administrations. Additionally, he served on the Board of Directors of the United States Olympic Committee from 1992 to 2004.
“Robert Marbut is the country’s leading expert on the root causes of homelessness — addiction, severe and untreated mental illness, and broken relationships,” said Discovery Institute president Steve Buri. “If we are serious about solving the homeless crisis, we need to focus on these issues, not the folly of so-called ‘housing first’. Mr. Marbut is carrying out the hard work that helps those experiencing homelessness realize their full human potential. I am delighted to welcome him as a Senior Fellow of Discovery Institute. ”
Discovery Institute is a non-profit educational and research organization whose mission is to advance a culture of purpose, creativity, and innovation. It sponsors programs in areas such as economics, education, science and technology, bioethics, and artificial intelligence.