(TargetLiberty.org) – Former President Donald Trump in a video on Tuesday released the idea that in order to end homelessness he would criminalize it. Specifically in the video, he claims that he “will ban urban camping wherever possible,” and that those who violate these bans would end up arrested. He added that from that point on they would have “the option to accept treatment and services if they’re willing to be rehabilitated.”
Last year, there were close to 600,000 Americans who were experiencing homelessness according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH). Several states across the nation have tried making homelessness illegal and have enacted similar bills including Texas, Tennessee, and Missouri according to the NAEH website.
In 2019, Trump demanded that homeless people be removed from Los Angeles and other cities in California, which is the state with the biggest homeless population. Trump further pushed White House officials to get homeless people away from the streets and into government-backed facilities.
In 2020 Trump also pushed for former President Barack Obama’s House First initiative to end. The initiative placed a heavy focus on helping homeless people get a place to live without any requirements. Once they were housed, people could access social services, including job training, addiction treatment, and counseling.
However, this latest plan by Trump has been criticized by Alan Mills, executive director of Uptown People’s Law Center, as being unconstitutional. Mills also argued that this would dissuade people from trying to get the assistance they need to get back on their feet.
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