On July 24, the federal government released an executive order titled Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets. While public calls for safety and stability are valid, this order misrepresents the complex realities of homelessness and risks diverting funding from the very solutions that are proven to work. At Council for the Homeless, we are deeply concerned that the order emphasizes criminalization and coercion over housing, support, and dignity. These measures will not end homelessness — they will deepen the trauma and hardship faced by our unhoused neighbors.
Housing Ends Homelessness — Not Punishment
Rather than strengthening our communities, the executive order undermines effective tools already in use. The truth is simple and backed by data: housing and services ends homelessness. Evidence-based approaches such as Housing First and Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) empower people to stabilize their lives without requiring sobriety or treatment as a precondition.
In Clark County, 91% of people who entered a PSH program in 2023 remained stably housed one year later. Of those who started in 2022, 87% remained housed for two years. These are real people: veterans, single parents, young adults aging out of foster care, and seniors on fixed incomes, who found a path forward because they were met with housing and support, not added barriers such as monetary fines, handcuffs, or punitive measures.
In PSH, behavioral healthcare and recovery services are accessible through trusted partners in the Homeless Response System. When support is available — not forced — people thrive, rebuilding with hope and dignity.
Dispelling Myths, Centering Truth
It is a harmful and persistent myth that most people experiencing homelessness are struggling with substance use disorder. National and local data consistently show that the majority of people who are unhoused do not have a substance use diagnosis. Many are children, families, or individuals facing economic instability, whose futures are jeopardized when homelessness is treated as a criminal issue instead of a social challenge.
People living outside are not inherently dangerous. In fact, they are far more likely to be victims of crime than perpetrators. When homelessness is framed solely as a public safety concern, it distracts from the real needs: affordable housing, behavioral and recovery services, job opportunities, and racial equity in housing policy. If enacted, this executive order would redirect vital funds away from proven, community-led solutions and into systems of surveillance, incarceration, and coercion — approaches that have historically failed and caused further harm.
A Better Way Forward — Together
At Council for the Homeless, we remain steadfast in our mission to advocate for real, lasting solutions to homelessness. Our system of care connects people with housing, healthcare, employment, and trauma-informed services. We support low-barrier, data-driven interventions because they are effective, equitable, and rooted in human dignity.
We also continue to educate policymakers and the public about what truly works. At this time, it is unclear how this federal directive may impact our funding, but our greater concern is how it could destabilize the entire Homeless Response System and hurt the very people we aim to serve.
You Can Make a Difference
Ending homelessness takes more than policy shifts. It takes community will, collective action, and compassion. We call on our local, state, and federal leaders: Do not criminalize poverty. We live in a world where the gap between the wealthy and the poor only continues to grow. To stabilize, people need compassion and supportive programs that are shown to help for the long-term.
We invite every member of our community to join us in standing for hope — not harm. Invest in people. Invest in housing. Invest in solutions that restore dignity and build a stronger, more inclusive future for all.
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