"The announced policy shift not only encourages "civil commitment of individuals with mental illness who pose risks to themselves or the public or are living on the streets and cannot care for themselves," but also ends federal support for Housing First - a policy that provides shelter to people in need without conditions - and instead mandates that housing provision be tied to participation in sobriety programs."
"It further ends support for safe injection sites and distribution of clean needles, and orders the attorney general and secretaries of Health and Human Services (HHS), Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Transportation to enforce prohibitions on "urban camping and loitering." The administration has marketed the executive order as "compassionate," but a wide array of public health advocates, unhoused people, mental health and medical workers, civil libertarians, public interest attorneys and mutual aid groups have made clear that the order is anything but."
An executive order issued in July directs removal of 'vagrant' individuals and encourages civil commitment of people with mental illness who pose risks to themselves or others or live on the streets and cannot care for themselves. The order ends federal support for Housing First and ties housing to participation in sobriety programs. It terminates support for safe injection sites and clean-needle distribution and directs the attorney general and HHS, HUD, and Transportation to enforce bans on urban camping and loitering. Public health advocates, unhoused people, mental-health and medical workers, civil libertarians, public-interest attorneys, and mutual aid groups warn the approach is punitive and harmful.
Read at Truthout
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