Discovery Institute Applauds President Trump’s Bold Action on Homelessness

The scholars and Fellows of Discovery Institute’s innovative Fix Homelessness initiative applaud President Trump for signing Executive Order, “ENDING CRIME AND DISORDER ON AMERICA’S STREETS,” a decisive step toward dramatically reducing homelessness across the United States.

As the nation’s leading think tank on homelessness policy, our organization has long called for the very action this Executive Order takes: rolling back the federal government’s failed, one-size-fits-all “Housing First” mandate. Despite President Obama’s 2013 pledge to end homelessness within a decade, the policy has led to a 34% increase in homelessness. The Biden Administration’s most recent Annual Homeless Assessment Report (December 2024) shows that unsheltered, street-level homelessness is growing at a rate that would double the crisis every five to six years without urgent reform.

President Trump understands what frontline providers and communities have long understood: lasting solutions must address the underlying root causes of homelessness — including addiction, untreated mental illness, and, for many women, the trauma of domestic violence. This order marks a major shift by redirecting funding to treatment, recovery, and supportive services that foster healing and accountability.

By rejecting the failed orthodoxy of permanent housing with no requirements for sobriety or engagement, President Trump is championing a more compassionate, effective approach — one that supports recovery, employment, and long-term independence.

This course correction reflects a deep respect for the dignity and potential of every American experiencing homelessness, as well as for the health and well-being of the communities in which they reside. Discovery Institute applauds the President’s commitment to offering real opportunities for individuals to rebuild their lives — physically, emotionally, and spiritually.