In the world of politics, protagonists are typically caught battling with deep-seated challenges, and the case of homelessness in the United States is no different. This week, former President Donald Trump has signed an executive order, sparking a robust discussion. This order demands that states and cities put an end to what has been called “endemic vagrancy.” This isn’t just about chasing folks off a beach chair on a sunny day; it’s a call for shifting homeless individuals into long-term institutional settings. The goal? To offer humane treatment through the appropriate use of civil commitment, hoping to improve the lives of both the homeless and the communities they reside in.
The federal government, in previously attempting to tackle homelessness, has poured tens of billions into programs that often tackled symptoms, not causes. These initiatives have provided little relief to the problem, leaving everyday citizens vulnerable to safety threats in their own neighborhoods. For instance, walking the streets of Seattle or New York can sometimes feel like navigating an obstacle course, trying to avoid any encounters that could result in harm. Why, just the other day, someone half-joked that, for every innocent bystander pushed in front of a subway in New York, some criminal gets a complimentary lunch. While the statement was made in jest, it speaks to a frustration many Americans feel.
Under President Joe Biden, the number of people sleeping on the streets remains alarmingly high. Meanwhile, Trump has been vocal about his resolve to address this issue during the 2024 campaign. He promises that once back in the Oval Office, he will wield every tool and power available to get the homeless off the streets, ensuring they receive the help they need from specialists while restoring safety and order to public spaces.
This plan may ruffle some feathers, especially those of homeless advocacy groups who have campaigned against such moves. However, some argue that these groups, as part of a larger “homeless industrial complex” of NGOs, have become beneficiaries in a system where crisis seems perpetual and unsolved issues are a source of continued funding. Questions have been raised about where massive sums allocated to handle this crisis have gone. A Californian audit, for example, revealed that $24 billion was spent over five years without making a tangible impact on reducing homelessness. Financial black holes like these only fuel the push for a stark reassessment of strategies going forward.
Naturally, efforts to address homelessness in such an assertive manner have met resistance from groups like the ACLU, which views these actions as targeting individuals rather than providing them with support. But the focus, according to proponents of the order, is on the bigger picture: helping addicts and individuals with mental health struggles truly get back on their feet while also ensuring that all Americans feel safe in their communities. As absurd as it might seem, some critics of Trump’s plan appear more invested in maintaining the status quo, allowing them to uphold their self-purported status as compassionate liberals. While others prefer virtue signaling rather than engaging in real problem-solving, it’s high time for practical action to reclaim the streets and restore dignity, safety, and sanity to one of the wealthiest nations on earth.
