President Donald Trump signed a major executive order this week aimed at cleaning up America’s streets and helping people struggling with mental illness or addiction.
The move comes as the number of homeless people living outdoors has hit a record high; over 274,000 according to the latest federal report.
The order, titled “Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets,” was signed on July 24, 2025. It’s a big shift in how the federal government plans to deal with homelessness.
Instead of pouring more money into programs that haven’t worked, the order focuses on getting people real help, especially those with serious mental health or drug problems.
NEW: President Donald J. Trump just signed an executive order to restore order to American cities and remove vagrants from our streets.
Here is the text of the order:
By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it…
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 24, 2025
Back to Treatment, Not Tents
One of the main goals of the order is to bring back long-term mental health care through civil commitment. That means if someone is clearly unable to care for themselves or is a danger to others, they can be moved into a safe, supervised treatment facility.
This idea used to be common in America. In the 1950s, there were over 550,000 psychiatric beds available.
That number dropped to just 30,000 by the 1990s, after federal laws started pushing people out of institutions and into the streets. A 2010 study found that this change made the homelessness problem even worse.
Trump’s order aims to reverse that trend by giving states more power – and more flexibility – to bring back treatment centers for those who truly need them.
Cleaning Up the Streets
Another part of the order gives priority to federal grants for cities that enforce rules against urban camping, public drug use, and loitering.
This comes on the heels of a 2024 Supreme Court decision that said cities can enforce anti-camping laws, even if people have no place to go. Supporters say this is a win for public safety and common sense.
Trump’s team is also cutting off federal funding for programs that hand out drug paraphernalia or operate so-called “safe consumption sites.” While groups like the CDC say these sites can reduce overdose deaths, some argue they just enable addiction and make neighborhoods more dangerous.
Focus on Accountability
The order also ends support for “Housing First” policies that give out housing without requiring treatment. Instead, federal housing help will now come with conditions – like showing up for rehab or mental health services.
That’s something many conservatives have pushed for. We believe in helping people, but we also believe in personal responsibility. If someone’s getting government help, they should be working toward getting clean and stable, not just given a free place to crash.
The order even allows special housing just for women and children and blocks sex offenders from being placed near kids – something that shouldn’t be controversial, but too often is in left-leaning cities.
Not Everyone’s on Board
Critics on the left say the order ignores the root problem: not enough affordable housing. The National Alliance to End Homelessness points out that over 770,000 people experienced homelessness at some point in 2024, not just the 274,000 living outside. They argue that cutting off harm reduction programs could actually make things worse.
But for many conservatives, this new plan is a breath of fresh air. After years of watching cities like San Francisco and Portland spiral out of control, they see this as a return to sanity.
Even some critics within the GOP have voiced concern about funding and how states will pay for new treatment centers, but the order leaves those decisions to the states and says no new spending is required – it just redirects existing funds to programs that actually work.
In the end, President Trump’s executive order sends a clear message: It’s time to stop enabling chaos and start helping people get their lives back on track.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
