Read the full article by Odin Rasco at Sacramento News & Review
Citing an all-time high for the number of individuals “living on the streets” — 274,224 people one night in 2024, according to the White House — and claiming such “endemic vagrancy” had made cities unsafe (a claim disproven by multiple studies, such as this one released in 2022 by the Centre for Social Investigation), President Trump issued an executive order titled “Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets” July 24.
Including directions to “seek … the reversal of Federal or State judicial precedents and the termination of consent decrees that impede the United States’ policy of encouraging civil commitment of individuals with mental illness,” the order provides direction to federal agencies and states to shift “homeless individuals into long-term institutional settings for humane treatment through the appropriate use of civil commitment.” The order states such measures are intended to address “root causes” of homelessness, such as drug use and mental health issues.
In light of the new order from the president, the need for mental health services, particularly ones that have a proven record for helping individuals experiencing homelessness, are on the rise in California and across the nation.
Hoping to add to the options for mental health treatment currently available in Sacramento County, a small, grassroots group is now working to bring a proven model called Clubhouse International into the fray.