President Trump Issues executive order to Tackle Homelessness Crisis

Homeless People Shelters
Photo YouTube


WASHINGTON D.C. – Citing a national crisis of "endemic vagrancy, disorderly behaviour, sudden confrontations, and violent attacks," President Donald J. Trump today issued a wide-ranging executive order aimed at restoring public order in American cities and overhauling the nation's approach to homelessness. The order, which the President stated is intended to protect both the homeless and other citizens, marks a significant shift towards prioritising public safety and addressing the "root causes" of homelessness, particularly drug addiction and mental health conditions, through expanded civil commitment and stricter enforcement of urban ordinances.

The executive order comes as the White House highlights that the number of individuals living on the streets reached a record high of 274,224 during the last year of the previous administration. The President emphasised that the "overwhelming majority" of these individuals struggle with addiction, mental health issues, or both, with nearly two-thirds reporting regular use of hard drugs and an equally large share suffering from mental health conditions.

"The Federal Government and the States have spent tens of billions of dollars on failed programs that address homelessness but not its root causes, leaving other citizens vulnerable to public safety threats," the President stated in the order. "Surrendering our cities and citizens to disorder and fear is neither compassionate to the homeless nor other citizens. My Administration will take a new approach focused on protecting public safety."

Key Directives of the Executive Order:

Restoring Civil Commitment: The order directs the Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to actively seek the reversal of federal or state judicial precedents and the termination of consent decrees that are perceived to hinder the civil commitment of individuals with mental illness who pose a risk to themselves or the public, or who are living on the streets and cannot care for themselves. It also mandates providing assistance to state and local governments for the adoption of "maximally flexible civil commitment" and institutional treatment standards.

Fighting Vagrancy on America’s Streets: A multi-agency effort involving the Attorney General and the Secretaries of Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, and Transportation will assess discretionary grant programs. Priority will be given to states and municipalities that enforce prohibitions on open illicit drug use, urban camping and loitering, and urban squatting. The order also emphasises moving individuals who are a danger to themselves or others, or who cannot care for themselves, into treatment centers through civil commitment or other available means. Furthermore, it seeks to enhance compliance with the Sex Offender Registry and Notification Act, particularly for homeless sex offenders.

Redirecting Federal Resources: The order calls for a reevaluation of federal funding for homelessness programs. The Secretary of Health and Human Services is directed to ensure that grants from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration fund evidence-based programs and explicitly exclude "harm reduction" or "safe consumption" efforts that are seen as facilitating illegal drug use. The order also prioritises the expansion of drug courts and mental health courts.

Increasing Accountability and Safety in Homelessness Programs: A significant shift is proposed for federal housing and homelessness assistance. The Secretaries of Health and Human Services and Housing and Urban Development are directed to increase accountability, including ending support for "housing first" policies that "deprioritise accountability and fail to promote treatment, recovery, and self-sufficiency." The order aims to increase competition among grantees and hold them to higher standards. It also allows for, and in some cases requires, recipients of federal housing assistance to mandate substance abuse or mental health treatment as a condition of participation.

Crucially, the order states that the Attorney General will review whether recipients of federal housing and homelessness assistance who operate drug injection sites or distribute drug paraphernalia are in violation of federal law and will bring actions as appropriate. The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, in coordination with the Attorney General, will also review and potentially freeze assistance for such recipients.

Additionally, the order seeks to allow federally funded programs to exclusively house women and children and prevent registered sex offenders receiving homelessness assistance from being housed with unrelated children. It also allows or requires the collection of health-related information from assistance recipients and its sharing with law enforcement when permitted by law.

The executive order highlights the administration's commitment to a more forceful and interventionist approach to addressing homelessness and public order concerns across the nation.

Location: 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20500, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Gone Viral

Forget What You Know: Nuclear Power's Comeback Could Save the Planet

Image
A Powerful Partner in the Race to Net-Zero Emissions The global push to reach net-zero emissions  is the defining challenge of our time. To succeed, we need every tool at our disposal. While renewable sources like solar and wind are rightly at the forefront of the conversation, it's increasingly clear that they can't do it alone. This is where nuclear power comes in—a reliable, low-carbon energy source that is poised to play a pivotal role in a decarbonised future.
Read more

Albanese Stands Firm: Defying Trump Allies on Palestine Recognition at UNGA"

Image
President Trump addresses the U.N. General Assembly. In the high-stakes world of international diplomacy, few decisions carry the weight of state recognition. As Prime Minister Anthony Albanese touched down in New York on Sunday for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), he carried with him a pledge that's rippling through global capitals: Australia's formal recognition of Palestinian statehood . Joining allies like Canada, the UK, France, and several European nations, Albanese's move aims to breathe life into a stalled two-state solution . But back in Washington, it's ignited a firestorm, with Donald Trump's inner circle issuing stark warnings of "punitive measures" against Australia and its partners.
Read more

Trump Designating Antifa as a Major Terrorist Organisation

Image
In a move that's sure to send shockwaves through the radical left and elate millions of everyday Americans, President Donald J. Trump has delivered a resounding message to the nation's patriots: "I am pleased to inform our many U.S.A. Patriots that I am designating ANTIFA , A SICK, DANGEROUS, RADICAL LEFT DISASTER, AS A MAJOR TERRORIST ORGANISATION. .." This announcement, shared directly on Truth Social and echoed across the White House's official channels, comes at a pivotal moment in our nation's ongoing battle against political violence and extremism. For those who've watched Antifa's masked marauders torch cities, assault innocents, and sow division during the chaotic summer of 2020—and beyond—this isn't just rhetoric. It's a long-overdue declaration of war on domestic anarchy. But what does this designation really mean? Let's break it down, from the group's shadowy history to the seismic legal and cultural ripples it'll cr...
Read more

Unmasking the Far-Left activist culture war

Image
Far Left Activist Rally Photo by Gemini In the colorful chaos of street protests, where spray-painted murals clash with riot shields and spoken-word slams echo against tear gas canisters , you'll find the far-left activists . These aren't your grandma's gallery-hoppers; they're the hybrid warriors of the culture war—artists wielding brushes, guitars, and guerrilla theater as weapons against capitalism, colonialism, and everything in between. Think Banksy meets Black Bloc : creating agitprop posters one minute, chaining themselves to cop cars the next. But behind the berets and the bravado lies a burning question: How do these self-proclaimed revolutionaries pay the bills? Do they crash in squats or sip lattes in lofts? And who’s bankrolling the megaphones and the marching orders? Let's peel back the layers of this kaleidoscopic subculture, where idealism meets irony.
Read more