On July 24, the Trump Administration issued an Executive Order that strips people of their basic rights, forces unhoused individuals into “treatment centers” and detention camps and undermines real solutions to homelessness. Funders Together for Housing Justice strongly condemns this executive order alongside our national advocacy partners. 

Specifically, this order: 

• Expands the use of law enforcement and institutionalization to respond to homelessness  
• Prioritizes funding for states that criminalize homelessness and eliminate housing-based solutions   
• Cuts off funding for life-saving programs like harm-reduction.   

This Executive Order continues the Trump Administration’s dangerous push to criminalize unhoused people and forcefully relocate them to detention camps, which already happened earlier this year ahead of the Super Bowl in New Orleans.  

Amanda Andere, CEO of Funders Together for Housing Justice, says:  

“This Executive Order is rooted in dangerous, racist stereotypes about people experiencing homelessness. It will hurt us all, but it will hurt Black, Brown, queer, disabled, and migrant communities the most. Not only is forcibly moving people into so-called “treatment facilities” unethical and ineffective, this executive order builds on a dangerous precedent already set by the Trump Administration to disappear people it sees as adversarial.”  

The real solution is clear: housing that everyone can afford alongside an accessible and adequate healthcare system. Thriving communities are built when every person has a roof over their head, access to healthcare, a good education, nutritious food, clean air and water, and self-determination. These are the priorities our leaders should be funding—not harmful, punitive policies. 

What Philanthropy Can Do 

• Educate local and state policymakers on the impact harmful policies and ineffective practices have on our communities. Lift up real solutions that government funding should support, such as services and outreach rooted in harm reduction, housing that people can afford, and accessible healthcare.  
• Identify and resource local organizers and activists to champion proactive legislation, such as the Gloria Johnson Act template legislation, and demand local and state policymakers protect unhoused community members.  

Funders Together for Housing Justice will continue to share information about the impact of this executive order with our networks. Please look out for follow-up communications, including additional recommendations and details about an upcoming policy call for funders. If you have immediate questions, please reach out to Stephanie Chan, Chief Strategy Officer, at [email protected].