Summary
President Trump signed an executive order to tackle homelessness by moving people from the streets to mental health or drug treatment centers without their consent. Alexandria, Virginia Mayor Alyia Gaskins criticized the order, saying it could end support for housing-first policies, which help people get permanent housing before addressing issues like mental health or addiction.
Key Facts
- President Trump signed an executive order on homelessness aiming to remove people from the streets.
- The order allows moving homeless individuals to mental health institutions or drug centers without their consent.
- It ends support for "housing first" policies, which prioritize providing housing before other treatments.
- More than 770,000 people were reported homeless last year, an 18% increase from the year before.
- The order instructs federal agencies to prioritize funding for cities that enforce strict measures on homelessness.
- Mayor Alyia Gaskins says Alexandria reduced homelessness by 11% using the housing-first approach.
- Gaskins expressed concern that the order might risk losing federal funding for housing-first initiatives.
