Trump Executive Order Overhauls Homelessness Policy

President Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order on homelessness, prioritizing public safety and empowering cities and states to remove homeless individuals from the streets into treatment or institutional settings. The order instructs federal agencies to reverse legal precedents and end consent decrees that limit such removals, and it redirects federal funding away from 'housing first' and harm reduction initiatives, including drug injection sites. Grants will now be prioritized for jurisdictions enforcing bans on open drug use, urban camping, loitering, and squatting. Supporters claim the policy will restore public order and focus resources on treatment, while critics—including advocacy groups and local officials—argue it is punitive and could increase involuntary commitments. The order comes after a recent Supreme Court decision upholding cities' authority to regulate public encampments. Local reactions are mixed, with concerns raised about civil liberties and the displacement of the unhoused.