Explainer: Why is Trump's crackdown on homeless encampments fueling heated controversy?

Civil rights groups and homelessness advocates argue the new order will do more harm than good, potentially worsening the nation's homelessness crisis that has already reached record levels.

WASHINGTON, July 25 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a sweeping executive order directing aggressive new measures to clear homeless encampments from city streets and relocate unhoused individuals to treatment or institutional care facilities -- a move that has drawn sharp criticism from advocacy groups and civil rights experts.

The order, signed Thursday, directs federal agencies to prioritize funding for cities and states that enforce bans on urban camping, drug use and loitering.

It also instructs U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek the reversal of longstanding court precedents and consent decrees that limit local governments' authority to detain individuals with mental illness or addiction issues.

The order asserts that shifting homeless individuals into long-term institutional care "will restore public order," citing concerns about "endemic vagrancy," "disorderly behavior," and "violent attacks."

WHAT DOES THE ORDER CHANGE?

The White House says the new approach aims to make it easier for municipalities to remove homeless people from public spaces and place them in long-term care settings through civil commitment -- a legal process that allows for involuntary institutionalization of those deemed a risk to themselves or others.

The order signals a major shift away from the long-standing "Housing First" model -- a policy widely supported by experts that prioritizes securing permanent housing before addressing mental health or substance use issues. Instead, Trump's plan favors treatment-first programs that often require sobriety and compliance as conditions for support.

Cities that crack down on homeless encampments could now be rewarded with federal grants from the departments of Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, and Transportation. Meanwhile, the order blocks funding for supervised drug-use sites and harm-reduction programs, which Trump officials argue encourage drug abuse -- a claim contradicted by federal health research.

WHY NOW?

The move follows a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year that allows local authorities to ban public camping even when no shelter beds are available. The decision has since emboldened cities in more than two dozen states to impose stricter penalties on unhoused individuals, including jail time.

During his 2024 campaign, Trump pledged to remove encampments from city centers and federal lands, describing them as threats to public safety. In March, he signed a separate order instructing the National Park Service to clear homeless sites in Washington, D.C., including near the White House.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the initiative aims to improve community safety.

"By removing vagrant criminals from our streets and redirecting resources toward substance abuse programs, the Trump Administration will ensure that Americans feel safe in their own communities and that individuals suffering from addiction or mental health struggles are able to get the help …," she said.

WHAT ARE THE CRITICISMS?

Civil rights groups and homelessness advocates argue the new order will do more harm than good, potentially worsening the nation's homelessness crisis that has already reached record levels.

"This order does nothing to lower the cost of housing or help people make ends meet," said Jesse Rabinowitz, spokesperson for the National Homelessness Law Center. "Rather, Trump's actions will force more people into homelessness, divert taxpayer money away from people in need, and make it harder for local communities to solve homelessness."

Ann Oliva, CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, said the approach is "not a dignified, safe, or evidence-based way to serve people's needs," arguing that forced institutionalization fails to meet the long-term needs of unhoused individuals.

Trump's policy has also sparked concern among health experts, particularly regarding the order's move to defund harm-reduction programs such as needle exchanges. Studies by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have found that such programs reduce the spread of disease and save lives.

HOW BAD IS THE HOMELESSNESS CRISIS?

According to a January 2024 report by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, an estimated 771,480 people were homeless in the United States on a single night -- the highest figure since national counts began. Of those, more than one-third were unsheltered, meaning they lived on streets, in vehicles, or in tents.

Experts cite a combination of systemic factors driving the surge: soaring housing costs, a shortage of affordable units, stagnant wages, and insufficient mental health infrastructure. Many also point to decades of underinvestment in social safety nets and the closure of psychiatric institutions without adequate community alternatives.

Ann Oliva emphasized that there is "no quick fix" and that permanent housing paired with voluntary supportive services is the proven solution. She warned against returning to punitive models from past decades, which she said have historically worsened conditions for unhoused individuals.

WHAT'S NEXT?

It remains unclear how some provisions of the order will be implemented. Media reports have questioned whether the attorney general has the legal authority to unilaterally overturn judicial rulings or consent decrees.

The order also lacks details on expanding treatment capacity, raising concerns about where individuals placed in institutional care would be housed.

Still, experts warn the move could have a chilling effect on local homelessness policy, incentivizing cities to clear encampments as a condition for federal aid. More than 320 bills criminalizing homelessness have already been introduced in state legislatures across the country, according to a recent report by the American Civil Liberties Union.

The executive order reflects a broader ideological shift in U.S. homelessness policy -- one that may shape policy debates in the years ahead.■