Trump to house the homeless?

POSTED BY: SIGNYM
UPDATED: Wednesday, September 11, 2019 11:49
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SIGNYM

Wednesday, September 11, 2019 11:49 AM

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Trump pushing for major crackdown on homeless camps in California, with aides discussing moving residents to government-backed facilities


President Trump has ordered White House officials to launch a sweeping effort to address homelessness in California, citing the state’s growing crisis, according to four government officials aware of the effort.

The planning has intensified in recent weeks. Administration officials have discussed using the federal government to get homeless people off the streets of Los Angeles and other cities and into new government-backed facilities, according to two officials briefed on the planning.

But it is unclear how they could accomplish this and what legal authority they would use. It is also unclear whether the state’s Democratic politicians would cooperate with Trump, who has sought to embarrass them over the homelessness crisis with repeated attacks on their competency.

Trump’s directive is part of his broader effort in recent months to shine a light on problems in California and a number of major U.S. cities, including Baltimore and Chicago. He has complained about what he says are years of failed Democratic leadership that have led to sustained poverty and crime.

Top officials representing the White House and the Department of Housing and Urban Development arrived in California this week for a round of meetings. A particular focus has been the skid row section of Los Angeles, officials said. The president is directly involved with the initiative, officials said, and has asked for updates.

Officials representing the Justice Department were also part of the tour, according to two government officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share details they were not authorized to discuss.

Among the ideas under consideration are razing existing tent camps for the homeless, creating new temporary facilities and refurbishing existing government facilities, two other officials said. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because the planning hasn’t been publicly revealed. The changes would attempt to give the federal government a larger role in supervising housing and health care for residents.

The talks are fluid and concrete plans had not been reached.

Trump has repeatedly assailed Democratic politicians in California over the state’s growing homelessness issue, which he has called a “disgrace to our country.” He has also criticized liberal-led cities such as Baltimore as “rat and rodent infested.”

Speaking of failing badly, has anyone seen what is happening to Nancy Pelosi’s district in San Francisco. It is not even recognizeable lately. Something must be done before it is too late. The Dems should stop wasting time on the Witch Hunt Hoax and start focusing on our Country!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 28, 2019

Planning also involves officials from the Department of Health and Human Services. An administration official cited the need to act based on concerns about disease and sewage problems affecting the homeless.

City officials gave a tour of the Jordan Downs housing project in Los Angeles on Tuesday to a team that included federal officials from Veterans Affairs, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Domestic Policy Council, the Justice Department and HUD, according to Branimir Kvartuc, spokesman for City Council member Joe Buscaino (D). About six city staffers and six federal officials were on that tour.

A White House spokesman said Trump signed an executive order in June that pertained to affordable housing regulations, and that the administration is continuing to seek new solutions for homelessness. Trump’s executive order created a new White House council on eliminating “regulatory barriers” that White House officials believe increase the cost of building new housing. Developers have said these restrictions drive up prices on housing and limit the supply.

“Like many Americans, the president has taken notice of the homelessness crisis, particularly in cities and states where the liberal polic

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