Trump signs order to aid states, cities in efforts to take homeless people off the streets

The order, titled "Ending Crime and Disorder on America's Streets," comes after Trump promised to clean up major U.S. cities, including Washington D.C., that have become hot spots for illicit drug use and crime.

By Misty Severi

Published: July 24, 2025 8:20pm

President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order directing federal agencies to help empower states and cities to get homeless people off the streets and into rehabilitation centers, by prioritizing federal grants for that purpose.

The order, titled "Ending Crime and Disorder on America's Streets," comes after Trump promised to clean up major U.S. cities, including Washington, D.C., that have become hot spots for illicit drug use and crime.

Trump also directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to "reverse judicial precedents and end consent decrees" that prohibit cities and states from removing drug-addicted homeless people and placing them into treatment centers.

"Endemic vagrancy, disorderly behavior, sudden confrontations, and violent attacks have made our cities unsafe," the order reads. "The number of individuals living on the streets in the United States on a single night during the last year of the previous administration -- 274,224 -- was the highest ever recorded."

"The overwhelming majority of these individuals are addicted to drugs, have a mental health condition, or both," it continued. "The Federal Government and the States have spent tens of billions of dollars on failed programs that address homelessness but not its root causes, leaving other citizens vulnerable to public safety threats."

The order is part of Trump's commitment to "Make America Safe Again," which has also included a crackdown on illegal immigration.

Trump further directed Bondi to work with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner to designate funds for states and cities that already enforce bans on open drug use, urban camping and loitering, and keep an eye on sex offenders.

The president did not specify how much funding would be allocated to the grants, but he claimed moving homeless drug users into "humane" treatment centers would "restore public order."

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.