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yesterday

Trump Ties Homelessness Aid to Encampment Sweeps and Involuntary Commitments

Federal agencies will award grants only to jurisdictions that enforce camping bans, drug-use arrests or involuntary commitments despite lacking extra funds or clear guidance.

James Anderson, 53, braces his tent against a coming snowstorm in Fort Collins, Colorado, while staying in an encampment at a shelter for people experiencing homelessness.
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A jogger runs past a homeless encampment in the Venice Beach section of Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)
Demonstrators protest outside the U.S. Supreme Court in support of unhoused people as the Court hears the case of City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, in Washington, D.C., on April 22, 2024.

Overview

  • The July 24 executive order abandons the two-decade Housing First model by conditioning housing assistance on sobriety and treatment compliance.
  • HUD and other federal agencies must prioritize grants for states and cities that clear street camps, crack down on drug use or expand civil commitment policies.
  • The directive provides no new funding or operational framework, prompting warnings about shortages in treatment beds and affordable housing.
  • Last year’s Supreme Court Grants Pass ruling and California’s statewide encampment sweeps under Gov. Newsom serve as the legal and policy blueprint for the federal shift.
  • Social workers, medical experts and service providers caution that the enforcement-first approach may worsen homelessness and overburden mental health and social service systems.