Former President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order aimed at empowering cities to more aggressively address homelessness in public spaces, while also expanding access to treatment for individuals dealing with mental illness or substance use disorders.
According to a summary released by the White House, the order is a response to what it calls a historic rise in homelessness, citing data from the final year of the Biden administration that recorded over 274,000 individuals living unsheltered on a single night, the highest figure ever documented.
“This is about compassion and safety,” Trump said during the 2023 signing. “We will use every tool available to move the homeless into treatment and recovery. But our streets must be cleared.”
The directive calls on the Attorney General to roll back policies that, according to the administration, restrict local governments from intervening when individuals camp in public spaces or engage in behavior considered disruptive.
The executive order also prioritizes federal funding for states that enforce laws against loitering, unauthorized urban camping, and public drug use. Grants will be directed toward jurisdictions that monitor the presence of sex offenders among homeless populations and discourage urban squatting.
As part of the policy shift, federal resources will no longer support supervised drug injection sites, a harm-reduction approach used in some cities to address overdose rates. The order stipulates that funding should instead be allocated to treatment-based programs, including facilities specifically designed for individuals with severe mental health conditions or addiction challenges.
Supporters of the move argue it represents a firm step toward restoring public order while offering a structured path toward recovery. Critics, however, have raised concerns about civil liberties and the potential for increased criminalization of homelessness.
The administration maintains that the goal is not punishment, but to create safer streets and more opportunities for vulnerable populations to receive care away from public sidewalks and encampments.
