Why clearing encampments doesn’t usually solve problems of homelessness Nation Aug 25, 2025 4:44 PM EDT

As the Trump administration directs federal and local law enforcement to crack down on homelessness in the nation’s capital, experts say one tactic they’re using — clearing encampments where unhoused people often live — is counterproductive and ineffective.

President Donald Trump said encampments have turned “our capital into a wasteland” during an Aug. 11 news conference. The White House has threatened criminal action against people who don’t comply with orders to leave.

It’s part of a wider push across the country by Democrats and Republican lawmakers alike to take drastic action to reduce homelessness. In California last year, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive o

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