Bryan Sunderland, director of advocacy at the Cicero Institute, said that various factors cause homelessness and that there is a need for a service-first approach to address these issues and provide assistance. Sunderland was a guest on a recent episode of the Texas Talks Podcast.

"There are a lot of reasons why people are homeless, and a lot of times, underlying reasons," said Sunderland on a recent edition of the Texas Talks Podcast. “It’s not just lack of affordable housing; often, it's drug abuse, substance use disorder, mental health issues, and broken families. People need help with services, more of a service-first approach.”

“In states like Texas, Florida, and Georgia, we've helped pass legislation similar to Utah's, which addresses the underlying problems and acknowledges the need to get people off the streets," said Sunderland. “We need to prevent entire streets from being taken over by dangerous homeless encampments full of drug-related and other violence. Instead, we need to get people into safer locations, such as shelters, where they can access services and find help."

Sunderland serves as the Director of Advocacy for the Cicero Institute. The Cicero Institute is a nonpartisan public policy organization specializing in government, legislation, law, technology, and entrepreneurship. They focus on developing and promoting state-level policies aimed at restoring liberty, accountability, and innovation in American governance.

Texas Talks podcast is hosted by Brad Swail. The weekly show is focused on public policy in the state of Texas, with insights from the people and organizations that influence it.

The podcast is available on Simple Cast and YouTube.