Trump aims to move DC homeless ‘far from the Capital’

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration announced a sweeping new policy on Sunday aimed at clearing homeless individuals from the nation’s capital. This is a move President Donald Trump declared is necessary to “take our Capital back.”

The initiative, part of a broader push to address crime and beautify Washington, involves the immediate relocation of the city’s homeless population to unspecified facilities “far from the Capital.”

In a series of posts on the Truth Social platform, the President stated, “The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY. We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital.” He linked the new policy to a crackdown on crime, vowing to jail criminals. He asserted, “There will be no ‘MR. NICE GUY.'”

This aggressive new directive follows a July 24 executive order, “Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets.” The directive signaled a major shift in federal homelessness policy. 

Furthermore, that order aims to move federal funding away from the “Housing First” model. That model prioritizes getting individuals into permanent housing before addressing other issues like mental health or addiction.

Instead, the administration is now incentivizing jurisdictions that enforce prohibitions on urban camping to place individuals into treatment programs. A previous order from March had already directed the National Park Service to clear encampments from federal land in D.C.

Trump’s homeless policy met with opposition

The announcement has been met with swift opposition from local officials and advocacy groups. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser contested the administration’s premise, stating on Sunday, “We are not experiencing a crime spike.”

Additionally, she pointed to Metropolitan Police Department data. It illustrated that violent crime in the District has altogether fallen by 26% in 2025 compared to the previous year, continuing a trend that saw crime rates hit a 30-year low in 2024.

“Any comparison to a war-torn country is hyperbolic and false,” Bowser said.

While the mayor affirmed she would work with federal partners, she expressed concern over the potential deployment of the National Guard. She noted they are not law enforcement officials.

Advocates for the homeless have condemned the policy as a return to the criminalization of poverty. They argue that forcibly clearing encampments without providing adequate, voluntary, and supportive housing solutions is ineffective and inhumane. The lack of clarity on where individuals will be moved and what services will be provided has only amplified these concerns.

The White House has not yet detailed the legal authority it would use to carry out such a large-scale relocation of people from non-federal lands within the city.

DC’s unhoused population is disproportionately African American

Moreover, the move represents a significant escalation in the ongoing tension between the federal government and the District of Columbia over local governance and public safety.

According to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments’ annual Point-in-Time (PIT) count released in May, the District saw a notable 9% decrease in its homeless population from the previous year.

The January 2025 count identified 5,138 individuals experiencing homelessness, down from 5,616 in 2024. This progress, marking a 19% drop since 2020, is largely attributed to the city’s “Homeward DC 2.0” plan.

Additionally, significant investments in housing vouchers and family support services has led to an 18.1% reduction in family homelessness.

However, the data also reveals persistent challenges. The number of individuals experiencing chronic, long-term homelessness saw a slight increase. Systemic issues, including a lack of affordable housing, continue to drive homelessness, disproportionately affecting the city’s Black residents.