Trump Executive Order okays incarceration of homeless

[Mantiss2021]

I've heard it said, more than once, that if a person is not mentally ill when they first start living on the street (ie. "homeless"), the likelihood of them becoming mentally ill becomes greater with each month they remain homeless.

So it seems, it is just a matter of degrees...

[Bootless]

Something that is slightly being ignored here, and that the whole intent of thise action.
Ending Crime and Disorder on America's Streets – The White House

I don't think it's being ignored. The intent to decrease homelessness is almost universally applauded. The how is the thing. And how is it paid for.

There used to be a federal agency called United States Interagency Council on Homelessness

 is an independent federal agency within the U.S. executive branch that leads the implementation of the federal strategic plan to prevent and end homelessness. USICH is advised by a Council, which includes the heads of its 20 federal member agencies.
In March 2025, President Trump issued an executive order that directed eliminating the Council "to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law", along with several other agencies.

True, homelessness was not eliminated by 2015.

But the new EO diverts funds from HUD, Transportation, and other agencies which could humanely ameliorate the problems in order to fund law enforcement and incarceration. Hospitals are shutting down because of Medicaid cuts. As far as I know, most costs of indigent mental health is covered by Medicaid.

There is a saying which was in vogue some time ago, Heinlein I believe, from his Moon novel: "There Ain't no such thing as a free lunch." (TANSTAAFL).

I saw one video in which the idea that in order for hospitals to treat the indigent, everybody who is currently covered by medical insurance will see their premiums go up. That will cut into money for rent and such, leaving economically vulnerable people in more jeopardy of being homeless and on the way to work camps. It's sort of like debtor's prison.

[guyfriday]

I don't think it's being ignored. The intent to decrease homelessness is almost universally applauded. The how is the thing. And how is it paid for.

There used to be a federal agency called United States Interagency Council on Homelessness
True, homelessness was not eliminated by 2015.

But the new EO diverts funds from HUD, Transportation, and other agencies which could humanely ameliorate the problems in order to fund law enforcement and incarceration. Hospitals are shutting down because of Medicaid cuts. As far as I know, most costs of indigent mental health is covered by Medicaid.

There is a saying which was in vogue some time ago, Heinlein I believe, from his Moon novel: "There Ain't no such thing as a free lunch." (TANSTAAFL).

I saw one video in which the idea that in order for hospitals to treat the indigent, everybody who is currently covered by medical insurance will see their premiums go up. That will cut into money for rent and such, leaving economically vulnerable people in more jeopardy of being homeless and on the way to work camps. It's sort of like debtor's prison.

one of the ways funding for this could easily happen is through accountability.

Sec. 5.  Increasing Accountability and Safety in America’s Homelessness Programs.  (a)  The Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall take appropriate actions to increase accountability in their provision of, and grants awarded for, homelessness assistance and transitional living programs.  These actions shall include, to the extent permitted by law, ending support for “housing first” policies that deprioritize accountability and fail to promote treatment, recovery, and self-sufficiency; increasing competition among grantees through broadening the applicant pool; and holding grantees to higher standards of effectiveness in reducing homelessness and increasing public safety. 

for instance when a Homeless advocacy group starts up, they usually push an admin cost of 50-75%. This is when the amount of money going to them is in the low millions, but after billions of dollars start getting funneled through the same group, the admin costs are the same or higher. When these groups are asked way they are now using more money than before, the answer is usually about how many tiny homes they build or the number of needy homeless people there are. They never address the question of finances. 

In most places US grants for homeless and drug outreach care is grifted back to politicians for private funding.

[Vermilion]

I don't think it's being ignored. The intent to decrease homelessness is almost universally applauded. The how is the thing. And how is it paid for.

There used to be a federal agency called United States Interagency Council on Homelessness
True, homelessness was not eliminated by 2015.

But the new EO diverts funds from HUD, Transportation, and other agencies which could humanely ameliorate the problems in order to fund law enforcement and incarceration. Hospitals are shutting down because of Medicaid cuts. As far as I know, most costs of indigent mental health is covered by Medicaid.

There is a saying which was in vogue some time ago, Heinlein I believe, from his Moon novel: "There Ain't no such thing as a free lunch." (TANSTAAFL).

I saw one video in which the idea that in order for hospitals to treat the indigent, everybody who is currently covered by medical insurance will see their premiums go up. That will cut into money for rent and such, leaving economically vulnerable people in more jeopardy of being homeless and on the way to work camps. It's sort of like debtor's prison.

Whatever it will cost would be a drop in the bucket compared to the 30,000,000 illegals I am
paying for now. 
Americans first, the rest gotta go.

[cherokeetroy]

If you need to convince Americans that they've entered The Golden Age with a booming economy, the visual evidence of a growing homelessness epidemic isn't exactly a strong selling point.

Trump's going to have to round them up and hide them out of sight.

It's all about optics.

[andy06shake]

Yes.
I lived in LA for almost 50 years and I’ve seen all sides of homelessness.

The poor soul hanging from a tree for all the morning commuters to see.
The one who intentionally ran in front of the city bus.
The ones who defecate, masturbate, shoot drugs, and smoke drugs on the sidewalk in front of the schools.
The one who smashed my wife’s coworker in the face with a pipe in front of their building.
I could go on and on.

Some of those, most of those folks, are absolutely out of their gourds crazy or on dope, or both.
They are regularly jailed and the door is revolving.
There’s a better way.

Have you ever been homeless for an extended period?

If not, then you haven't seen all the sides.

Point of fact, if you have never been homeless, then you have only ever seen one side. 

It's no fun living on the streets, truth be told, it's terrifying, lonely, and soul-destroying.

[andy06shake]

I've heard it said, more than once, that if a person is not mentally ill when they first start living on the street (ie. "homeless"), the likelihood of them becoming mentally ill becomes greater with each month they remain homeless.

So it seems, it is just a matter of degrees...

Bingo!

Called it.

[Bootless]

increase accountability in their provision of, and grants awarded for, homelessness assistance and transitional living programs.  These actions shall include, to the extent permitted by law, ending support for “housing first” policies that deprioritize accountability and fail to promote treatment, recovery, and self-sufficiency; increasing competition among grantees through broadening the applicant pool

That's a way to cut funding, and shift funds to the private sector, eg private prison network.

I'm not an economist but when I think about it:
A public sector job has wage caps. The top dog isn't going to be getting $5,000,000 dollars per year. So take 1 top dog making $200,000 per year compared to 15 private companies, each with a CEO making $5,000,000 and compare the overhead costs.

There's this song, "You'll never get rich digging a ditch. You're in the army now."

That's sort of the public servant motto, whether they think about it or not.

[BeTheGoddess]

If they are begging on the street, ask them to see their feet.

Having been homeless (and been to the 3rd world)  it shits me how some pretend hardship just for beer money.


https://youtu.be/eaFlJQGtBeM?si=FNfrFxquPBy13zev

[Bootless]

Point of fact, if you have never been homeless, then you have only ever seen one side. 

It's no fun living on the streets, truth be told, it's terrifying, lonely, and soul-destroying.

Fortunate are they who own a car and know where they can get a shower for less than a dollar.

But maybe that only applies for the working poor.