CLASH of the TITANS: Housing First vs. Treatment First

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(November 24, 2025) - Colusa County is about to get slammed by a battle between two completely opposite ways of handling homeless funding. On one side: Housing First, which Colusa has embraced—people get housed without any prerequirements. On the other side: the federal Treatment First model, just entering the ring, which comes with mandatory requirements.

The Board of Supervisors is poised to greenlight a $450,000 Behavioral Health Bridge Housing (BHBH) grant that expands transitional housing in the county using the Housing First model—and this is where it gets spicy. 

This state-funded program directly contrasts with the emerging federal Treatment First approach to addressing homelessness. The Housing First model prioritizes providing stable housing without any preconditions, then offering supportive services like substance use and mental health treatment as voluntary options, not a requirement.

Intense community outrage over taxpayer funding for lavish homeless housing program has sparked heated discussions online. Other sites are being considered.

We want the public to grasp what’s barreling toward Colusa County. Our local federally-approved Continuum of Care (CA-523, Dos Rios), despite being strong advocates for the Housing First approach, will pursue available federal "Treatment First" grants.

This strategic decision is necessary to secure funding but sets the stage for a collision of philosophies: Housing First vs. Treatment First right here in our community, with potential impacts on how services are delivered; who gets housing, who gets help, and who could get left behind.

This is real, messy, and coming fast.

Starting in 2026, federal funding administered through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will prioritize programs that require individuals to participate in treatment, maintain sobriety, or meet other conditions before receiving transitional or permanent housing services.

"Colusa will be hit with two completely opposing programs at the same time, and the consequences will be inescapable." - Susan Wagenaar, Advocate.

Some county providers may try to run both grant-funded programs side by side, but the federal government may see it differently. Some might even lose federal funding if their local programs are perceived as conflicting with the "Treatment First" mandate.

The new HUD rules create a catch-22 for service providers who may have to choose between adhering to state mandates or qualifying for federal funds. It's a legislative tightrope that Colusa will have to walk.

As the Highlander epic reminds us, there can only be one. Our county’s about to find out which funding stream rises—and which one falls.