President Trump’s recent executive order threatens to gut the very approach that has helped cities reduce homelessness: Housing First.

For over two decades, both Republican and Democratic administrations have supported Housing First — a strategy that prioritizes getting people into stable housing before tackling mental health or addiction challenges. It’s grounded in compassion and backed by real results. In Alexandria, Virginia, this approach led to an 11% decrease in homelessness. But now, that progress is at risk.

The executive order demands aggressive crackdowns on people living on the streets, encourages forced institutionalization, and eliminates federal support for Housing First. It threatens funding to cities that refuse to criminalize homelessness. This kind of top-down, punitive policy doesn't solve homelessness — it pushes people further into crisis. It ignores the root issue: the lack of affordable housing.

When we prioritize housing, we give people a foundation to begin healing. When we replace outreach and support with handcuffs, we break trust, separate families, and create more instability. This is not how we build safer, healthier communities.

We are calling on Congress and the Department of Housing and Urban Development to protect Housing First. Reinstate federal support for this approach. Do not allow political theater to undo decades of bipartisan progress.

We need solutions that treat people with dignity and focus on what works. We need funding for housing, not handcuffs.

If you believe everyone deserves a path off the streets that starts with shelter, not arrest, add your name.

 
Photo: Gerald Herbert/AP