Philip Mangano, was appointed as U.S. President Bush’s “homeless czar”, traveling across the U.S. - and Canada - spreading the message that local communities should adopt 10-year plans to end homelessness. Meanwhile, the Bush administration has been cutting funding for key housing initiatives. His message is familiar to Canadians, who have lived through two decades of federal and provincial housing cost-cutting and downloading. Read more in this Wellesley Institute Backgrounder.