USA Today reports on the shocking rise in the number of families who are homeless. The article quotes Philip Mangano, Executive Director of the Washington based U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness. Philip Mangano created the term “chronically homeless” and is the key architect in directing severely limited Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) resources for homeless programs to those that will serve this population. By his definition families with children are excluded from programs targeting the chronically homeless who, by his definition, are single without children. His U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness also has consistently fought any effort by advocates to expand the Department of HUD’s definition of homelessness to be more consistent with other Federal agencies. These policies can only exacerbate the serious problems facing homeless families and the organizations attempt to assist them. Advocates who have compromised with the Interagency Council on Homelessness and supported these policies, however reluctantly, must now face the long term consequences of the politics of expediency.