Opposition to crime-homelessness EO offset by loss of sensible options

Abstract

Unfortunately, what could have been the only opening for a resurgence in funding for substance use disorder (SUD) treatment turned into an accusation of making addiction a crime. President Trump's July 24 Executive Order, Ending Crime and Disorder on America's Streets, called for “[s]hifting homeless individuals into long-term institutional settings for humane treatment through the appropriate use of civil commitment,” saying that such a move “will restore public order.” The Executive Order also called on the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to “take steps to require recipients of federal housing and homelessness assistance to increase requirements that persons participating in the recipients' programs who suffer from substance use disorder or serious mental illness use substance abuse treatment or mental health services as a condition of participation.”