President Trump signed an executive order last week aimed at addressing the problem of homelessness in the nationÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s cities. As with about any action that someone takes in the nationÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s capital, reactions are split, often along party lines.
According to the White House website, the reason for the executive order is ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œto restore order to American cities and remove vagrant individuals from our streets, redirecting federal resources toward programs that tackle substance abuse and returning to the acute necessity of civil commitment.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
The on the order says, ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œPresident Trump is taking a new approach focused on protecting public safety because surrendering our cities and citizens to disorder and fear is neither compassionate to the homeless nor to other citizens.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
It gives priority to grants for states and municipalities that ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œenforce prohibitions on open illicit drug use, urban camping and loitering, and urban squatting, and track the location of sex offenders.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
It also ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œredirects funding to ensure that individuals camping on streets and causing public disorder and that are suffering from serious mental illness or addiction are moved into treatment centers, assisted outpatient treatment, or other facilities.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
One thing that struck me is the use of the phrase ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œvagrant individuals.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ ItÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s not common to see a high-ranking government official use the word ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œvagrantÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ in connection to homelessness, but the president apparently is OK with it.
Is the presidentÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s executive order the answer to a problem thatÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s been around for years and has defied all well-meaning attempts to correct it, or at least the beginning of the answer? Not according to many people in the opposition party.
From on July 25: ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œLeading Democrats and advocates for homeless people are criticizing an executive order President Donald Trump signed this week aimed at removing people from the streets, possibly by committing them for mental health or drug treatment without their consent. ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥¦
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œThe presidentÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s order might be aimed at liberal cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York, which Trump views as too lax about conditions on their streets. But many of the concepts have already been proposed or tested in California, where Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic mayors have worked for years to get people off the streets and into treatment.ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥
As the AP article noted, homelessness has many sources. It cites the price of housing and the increase in drug addiction with the availability of substances such as fentanyl. There are other reasons, of course.
The term ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œhomelessÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ itself carries many degrees of meaning. Some people have no homes and no roof over their head. They are counted as unsheltered. Then there are people who do not have a home but who do take refuge in places such as the Huntington City Mission or Branches Domestic Violence Shelter. They are counted as sheltered homeless.
Homelessness as a public policy issue became more of a topic of conversation in the 1980s and into the 1990s. Its place on the priority list of public policy concerns waxes and wanes with the political tides.
ItÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s probably not a coincidence that homelessness became a larger public policy concern after court rulings and legislative actions made deinstitutionalization a common practice. Instead of warehousing people with mental health issues and other problems, the philosophy was to put them in the least restrictive environment that was available.
That worked for some people. It didnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t work for others. The presidentÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s order could lead to putting some homeless people into institutions, assuming there is room for them ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥” which, given the magnitude of the problem, is debatable.
Some homeless people are relatively harmless. One Friday evening last summer I was in Harris Riverfront Park as darkness fell. A group of about eight to 12 people gathered at a picnic shelter at the lower end and set their sleeping bags on the ground or on picnic tables. They didnÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t panhandle or bother anyone else. They talked and laughed and such.
But some homeless people arenÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™t seen as harmless by some people. TheyÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ve been accused of thefts, fires, drug use and lewd acts in the Highlawn neighborhood.
WeÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™ll have to see how all this translates into public policy in West VirginiaÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s largest cities. Huntington Mayor Patrick Farrell is implementing his plan to move homeless services from the downtown to the West End.
The presidentÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s executive order ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥œto End Crime and Disorder on AmericaÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥™s StreetsÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ may be a help, or it may be a hindrance.
Jim Ross is development and opinion editor of The Herald-Dispatch. His email address is jross@hdmediallc.com.
