{"id":7206,"date":"2025-09-07T17:10:47","date_gmt":"2025-09-07T17:10:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/africanamericanvoice.net\/?p=7206"},"modified":"2025-09-07T17:10:47","modified_gmt":"2025-09-07T17:10:47","slug":"trumps-crackdown-on-d-c-homelessness-targets-black-residents-despite-declining-numbers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/africanamericanvoice.net\/?p=7206","title":{"rendered":"Trump\u2019s Crackdown on D.C. Homelessness Targets Black Residents Despite Declining Numbers"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Stacy M. Brown<\/a><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Washington, D.C., is one of only six places in the United States where homelessness has fallen since 2019.<\/p>\n

Alongside its neighbor, Maryland, as well as Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Mississippi, and Wyoming, the District posted reductions while most of the nation saw increases. Since 2015, homelessness in D.C. has dropped more than 20%, compared to a nearly 40% jump nationwide.<\/p>\n

Yet the Trump administration has singled out the city for a militarized crackdown, sending the National Guard into the streets and ordering homeless encampments to be dismantled.<\/p>\n

The move follows President Donald Trump\u2019s inflammatory claims that the city is \u201covertaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged out maniacs and homeless people,\u201d even as both crime and homelessness rates sit at or near decade lows.<\/p>\n

While Trump is making it about homelessness and crime, many say the president is targeting the District\u2019s Black residents, who make up 41% of D.C.\u2019s population, but account for 82.5 % of those unhoused.<\/p>\n

White residents comprise 39.6% of the population, yet only 6.6% of those without shelter. Sixty percent of the homeless population is male.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile we don\u2019t yet know the full impact this decision will have on D.C. and the Black and minority communities Trump has suggested he may target next, we do know this: militarized over-policing will inevitably lead to increased fear and mistrust among communities that have too often been treated as occupied populations, rather than as citizens who deserve to be served and protected,\u201d said Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Chair Rep. Yvette Clark (D-N.Y.) and members of the CBC in a statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Numbers Behind the Targeting<\/strong><\/h2>\n

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development\u2019s point-in-time count<\/a>, about 5,000 people were homeless in D.C. in 2025 \u2014 a 9% drop from 2024. The national total that year exceeded 770,000, the highest since at least 2007.<\/p>\n

NBC News reported<\/a> that, in 2016, more than 8,000 D.C. residents were unhoused. The number fell sharply by 2022 after the Biden administration provided emergency housing vouchers, including rooms in vacant hotels. When the funding ended, the count rose from 4,922 in 2023 to 5,615 in 2024, before declining again this year.<\/p>\n

Most of the city\u2019s homeless live in central, high-visibility areas \u2014 downtown, Union Station, Georgetown, and Foggy Bottom.<\/p>\n

Under Trump\u2019s order, encampments in these areas have been cleared, including one near the Kennedy Center where he serves as chairman, with workers dumping belongings into garbage trucks.<\/p>\n

To be clear, bulldozing homeless encampments will not fix the problem in D.C., or anywhere. I don\u2019t expect Trump (who has absolutely no interior life at all) to understand this,\u201d one social media user wrote on X<\/a>, formerly known as Twitter, \u201cout of sight, out of mind is not a strategy-it\u2019s heartless cruelty.\u201d<\/p>\n

Age and Vulnerability<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The city\u2019s homeless population includes 7.9% senior citizens \u2014 higher than the 5.5% national share \u2014 and 18.6% are under 18.<\/p>\n

High housing costs, more than double the national average, and a cost-of-living 40% above the U.S. average put stable housing out of reach for many.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe recent news about the displacement of homeless individuals in Washington, DC, raises serious concerns about the treatment of vulnerable populations. Simply moving individuals out of sight does not address the root causes of homelessness or provide sustainable solutions,\u201d Lived Experienced Advisors<\/a>, an organization where 100% of the experts have experienced homelessness, wrote on X<\/a>. \u201cWhile the intention may be framed as a public safety measure, we must prioritize the human rights of those affected. Displacement can lead to further trauma and instability. Instead of punitive actions, we should focus on comprehensive strategies that include affordable housing, mental health support, and community resources.\u201d<\/p>\n

What Was Working Before Trump\u2019s Order<\/strong><\/h2>\n

D.C. had been making progress through targeted initiatives:<\/p>\n