President Trump issued an executive order Thursday telling local and state officials to force unhoused people into treatment and psychiatric hospitals.
It’s unlikely that the federal government could force states and cities to follow every policy in the order, but federal funding could influence local policy.
“I do think that the federal government will start funneling money into cities and state jurisdictions that are punitive in nature,” Disability Rights Montana Executive Director David Carlson says.
That could mean shifting funding to programs that force people into treatment before they get housing. Carlson also worries that more cities will implement laws that criminalize homelessness so they can receive federal funding.
The Trump administration says these policies will help resolve the country’s homelessness crisis.
Carlson argues these policies do nothing to resolve the root cause: lack of affordable housing.
