Billionaire Joe Lonsdale Pushes Anti-Camping Laws as Alternative to Housing-First

Joe Lonsdale, co-founder of Palantir, heads the Cicero Institute, which allocates less than $15 million annually to champion laws that prohibit public camping and other anti-homelessness tactics. Twenty-one states have considered such bans, and several have already enacted legislation modeled on the institute’s research, which the Trump administration has used to redirect federal funds toward treatment programs instead of housing subsidies.

Drawing on personal experiences of street life in Jamaica and London, the author argues that the prevailing Housing First model—providing housing before addressing addiction or mental illness—has failed to curb chronic homelessness and related disorder, especially in cities like San Francisco. He contends that Lonsdale’s willingness to fund and lobby for stricter enforcement offers a pragmatic alternative to what he sees as idealistic policies.

While the approach draws criticism for its harshness, the piece suggests that confronting squatting and street encampments directly may improve safety and order. The debate reflects a broader philosophical clash over how societies should address poverty and public space.