Trump to sign executive order to address homelessness and remove individuals from streets.
On Thursday, President Trump announced plans to sign an executive order aimed at addressing homelessness in the United States by removing homeless individuals from public spaces. The initiative, titled “Ending Vagrancy and Restoring Order,” directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to challenge legal decisions that the Trump administration argues hinder cities and states from mandating that homeless individuals accept shelter or enter substance-abuse programs.
The proposed measure would reallocate federal funding from programs focused on providing housing for the homeless to those aimed at addiction treatment and mental health support. Details regarding the exact amount of funding affected by this redirection have not been disclosed.
A spokesperson for the White House, Karoline Leavitt, articulated that the intention behind the order is to enhance public safety by reducing the visibility of what the administration categorizes as “vagrant criminals” and to ensure that individuals grappling with addiction or mental health issues receive necessary assistance.
Moreover, the executive order prioritizes federal grant allocations to states and municipalities that enforce regulations against activities such as open drug use, urban camping, loitering, and squatting. It also includes provisions for monitoring the locations of sex offenders.
Official statistics indicate that over 700,000 individuals are homeless in the United States, although advocates suggest that this figure may be significantly understated. For instance, New York City is among the few areas that enforce a “right to shelter” law, theoretically guaranteeing homeless individuals a place in a shelter when they seek assistance.
President Trump has consistently emphasized combating urban crime and disorder as a central theme of his upcoming campaign. Despite a general decline in crime statistics, Trump has preferred to pursue executive measures rather than collaborate with Congress or engage with city leaders, most of whom are from the Democratic Party. Some of these actions have been met with legal challenges.
This new executive order is part of a broader strategy the Trump administration is implementing to address homelessness, following an earlier directive in March that instructed the National Park Service to remove homeless encampments and graffiti from federal lands.
Notably, a Supreme Court ruling this past June determined that authorities are permitted to fine or arrest homeless individuals for sleeping in public, a decision passed by a 6-3 vote that reversed a lower court’s interpretation deeming such punitive measures as cruel and unusual punishment in the absence of adequate shelter options.
As the Trump administration prepares to move forward with these initiatives, the implications for homeless populations and the resources available to them remain a focal point of debate among lawmakers, advocates, and the public at large.
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