Justice Department examines homeless encampments, involuntary hospitalization for the mentally ill

Justice Department officials who oversee grant distributions are brainstorming ways to clear homeless encampments and increase the involuntary hospitalization of people with mental illnesses across the nation, the latest sign that the Trump administration is moving forward on its pledges to more aggressively clear homeless people from public spaces, according to an email obtained by the Washington Post.

Top Justice officials sent employees in the Office of Justice Programs an eight-question email Thursday evening asking for their input on how best to direct resources to issues surrounding homelessness and mental illnesses. The email recipients have until next Wednesday to respond.

“What can DOJ do to more efficiently shift chronic vagrants away from the public square and into a more concentrated space so that order can be restored and resources and services can be deployed more effectively?” one of the questions read.

The emails landed in inboxes at a time of upheaval for the Justice Department’s multibillion-dollar grants programs. The department on Tuesday canceled more than $800 million in grants midway through their funding cycle, reneging on funding promises made during the Biden administration, according to emails reviewed by the Post and multiple people familiar with the grants. The money had been committed to local governments and nonprofit agencies for gun-violence-prevention programs, crime victim advocacy, opioid addiction treatments and more.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said Wednesday that the canceled funding reflected “wasteful” spending and did not align with the priorities of the administration.

On Thursday night, the Justice Department notified some recipients that their grants had been restored, without further explanation. The National Center for Victims of Crime said it was told funding would continue for the VictimConnect hotline, which directs victims to specific resources in their area. Funds were also restored to Survivors.org, a website dedicated to assisting survivors of sexual assault, said Susan Rhoades, chief executive officer of Promoting Awareness-Victim Empowerment.

Other groups have appealed the decision to have their grants revoked.

Justice Department spokesman Chad Gilmartin said the brainstorming exercise related to homeless and mentally ill populations is not tied to the recent grant cuts. Grant money would not be used on involuntary hospitalizations, he said.

The email said the White House had directed the department and other agencies to provide legislative, funding and other solutions to issues around homelessness, mental health and more. Many of the Justice Department officials who received the email work with grantees and specialize in implementing the department’s policies aimed at improving public safety through research and community support.

“What can DOJ do to increase the availability and use of involuntary commitment for individuals with serious mental illness who, otherwise, cannot or will not receive care?” a question in the email read. “Alternatively, what can the Federal government do to shift state and local governments’ policies and behavior on this issue?”

On the campaign trail and in office, President Donald Trump and his allies have decried the homeless and mentally ill people who live on public streets. The administration has begun moving away from “Housing First” – a policy embraced by recent Republican and Democratic administrations that prioritizes placing people in stable housing before trying to direct them into mental health or drug addiction services.

“What Federal programs, if any, should maintain a Housing-First policy approach?” another prompt on the questionnaire reads.

The Trump administration has made major cuts to the Department of Housing and Urban Development and its homelessness efforts, with advocates warning that the cuts could worsen the number of people living on the streets in the country.

Trump issued an executive order last month to make D.C. “safe and beautiful” that included a directive for the National Park Service to remove all homeless encampments from federal land in the nation’s capital.

Donald Whitehead, executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, said he was concerned that the Trump administration was seeking answers on homelessness from the Justice Department, fearing that it could lead to criminally prosecuting people who live on the streets.

“My immediate reaction is that they are talking to the wrong people for finding solutions to homelessness. The criminal justice system and DOJ cannot solve homelessness,” Whitehead said in an interview.

“The real solution is housing.”

The questionnaire also asked staff for ideas on how to decrease panhandling and increase resources available to incarcerated people who face addiction and mental illness in federal prisons.

Another question asked staff how to prioritize mental health resources for people who suffer from the most serious mental illnesses.

“What federal resources should be redirected from supporting mental health treatment toward supporting the treatment of serious mental illness, for the sake of prioritization of limited resources and efficacy?” the email read.