The Trump Administration is shifting its strategy on homelessness and public safety, now taking a more assertive approach. This new policy focuses on both enforcement and treatment efforts to address the challenges. However, it's already raising questions in communities across the country.
"I've been working to solve homelessness for over a decade and this action, this order, is perhaps the most damaging that I've seen,” said Jesse Rabinowitz with the National Homelessness Law Center.
Rabinowitz says the executive order, titled, "Ending Crime and Disorder on America's Streets", has the power to reduce the effectiveness of homeless outreach efforts and doesn't help those in need but rather, puts a target on their backs.
"All it does is it makes it easier for the government to punish, arrest, and confine people who are struggling to pay rent in a country where rents are just too high right now,” said Rabinowitz.
The executive order states with more than 200,000 people reported homeless in the previous administration, many with drug and mental health issues, the current administration is finding ways to bring that number down.
The order encourages cities and states to crack down on things like camping out on sidewalks, loitering, and using drugs in public.
It also calls on the U.S. Attorney General to set up a plan with other agencies to transition the homeless population into what they call are " long-term institutional settings for humane treatment."
President Trump commenting on the homeless outside the White House on Friday.
"I think it's terrible and we'll have them removed immediately, we should remove it.”
So what does this mean for Kern County, who has a well-documented homeless population? Carlos Baldovinos with the Mission of Kern says he's not concerned.
"You know when I look at it, it actually kind of outlines some things that we already do in California like in Prop 36 which is you know anti camping, anti loitering, and other things so I just don't think there's a whole lot of difference,” said Baldovinos.
Rabinowitz says during his years of homeless outreach, he's seen how forced institutionalization doesn't work and provides a possible solution.
"The solution to homelessness is helping people afford rent and get the health care and support they need. Police have no role in solving homelessness because it's not a crime to be homeless,” said Rabinowitz.
With this executive order marking a major shift in federal policies regarding homelessness, it remains unclear as to how states and local cities will respond to these orders.
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