Trump Moves Away From ‘Housing First’ in New Order on Homelessness
Also today: London workers face sweltering commutes on the Tube, and a look at Japan's new theme park near a US military base.
Homeless encampments in downtown Los Angeles, California.
Photographer: Eric Thayer/Bloomberg
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday calling on cities and states to take action to remove homeless people from the streets and put them into treatment. Trump says the order's intent is to end homelessness, but the policy document prompted outcry from advocacy groups and providers who said that the White House is instead working to criminalize mental health disorders and chronic homelessness.
The order signals the end of the federal government’s support for “housing first,” the principle that the best way to treat chronic homelessness is to provide people with shelter first, before requiring them to seek treatment for addiction or mental health disorders.