CCEH is extremely concerned with the recent release of President Trump’s Executive Order, “Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets.” While the order is aimed at making it easier for cities and states to remove homeless people from the streets, advocates and agencies claim this order will actually make homelessness worse.
Our partner organization, the New Hampshire Coalition to End Homelessness (NHCEH), released a thoughtful and thorough response to this troubling Executive Order. We share in their concern that the order:
- De-funds lifesaving, evidence-based approaches to stabilization such as Housing First and Harm Reduction – long established best practices that are shown to produce positive outcomes
- Shifts the focus away from the need to address the systemic causes of homelessness – the lack of affordable housing and a workforce trying to make ends meet on wages drastically misaligned with housing costs
- Encourages the criminalization of homelessness in lieu of focusing on evidence-based strategies and long-term solutions
- Calls for the involuntary civil commitment (forced inpatient treatment) of people experiencing homelessness who have mental health conditions or substance use disorders, instead of expanding support available in the community
- Threatens funding of states and municipalities who do not engage in such criminalization and involuntary hospitalization practices “to the maximum extent of the law”
- Uses language that seeks to capitalize on the deep-seeded stigma that already exists against our most vulnerable neighbors rather than calling to mobilize a compassionate response rooted in data-driven strategy
In the words of the National Homelessness Law Center, “To build truly safe, healthy, and just communities, we need housing and health care, not handcuffs and budget cuts.”
NHCEH appreciates that the Executive Order recognizes the “comprehensive services for individuals with serious mental illness and substance use disorder, including crisis intervention services” provided by entities such as Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs). However, it is our strong belief that the approaches put forth in the Executive Order will result in displacement and disconnection from such critical community resources rather than build upon their work that has helped bring countless residents home.
A federal commitment to the expansion of funding for community-based programs and case management services for people experiencing homelessness is the path to addressing the root causes of homelessness and achieving lasting change. NHCEH urges community members and decision-makers to support data-driven solutions that prioritize making affordable, accessible housing, health care, and support service options available to all NH residents who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Here at CCEH, we have followed a Housing First approach since 2014, and we have seen the successful outcomes of this model. The threat of reduced funding for Housing First programs, in conjunction with other affordable housing program funding cuts proposed in the fiscal year 2026 federal budget, are deeply concerning. We are already seeing the strain on our mental health and substance use treatment systems: even when clients are ready for treatment, they cannot get into a facility due to overcrowding, lack of funding, and severe staffing shortages.
At the moment, it’s difficult to fully grasp what this Executive Order will look like for CCEH, our clients, and for the Concord community. There are still many unanswered questions, and very high-level conversations are happening among human service agencies to prepare for this order. In the meantime, we will continue to provide compassionate and evidence-based services to our clients as we work toward a Concord where everyone has a safe, stable, and decent place to live.
