In the early '80s the Reagan administration favored the idea of solving homelessness locally. Pressure mounted as Americans demanded that homeless issues be addressed by the federal government. As a result, on July 22, 1987, President Reagan signed the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act into law. Since 1987, the McKinney-Vento Act has provided a range of services to local homeless shelters and programs throughout the City of Philadelphia.