Opinion: DC Encampment Sweeps Hide, but Don’t Solve, Homelessness

In an opinion piece in Greater Greater Washington, Susannah Petitt argues that destroying the encampments formed by unhoused people in Washington, D.C., a move ordered by a Trump executive order, does nothing to stem the homelessness crisis.

Like many advocates for homeless Americans, Petitt points to the systemic problems that are pushing more people into homelessness. “While removing these encampments may make the city’s homeless residents less visible, it will do little to get to the root of the problem. When policymakers only see homelessness as an aesthetic problem, they miss the people and stories inside the encampments they wish to destroy.”

Destroying the relatively safe places people have found in encampments misses the real problem in DC, and will do little to improve safety. Ending homelessness requires supportive services that meet the needs of people where they are. Destroying encampments is just hiding homelessness from the view of the West Wing.

According to Petitt, reducing homelessness requires coordinated support from governments, community organizations, and social networks. “If the DC government and President Trump are serious about getting the homeless off the streets, they should emphasize community care by better supporting outreach efforts by nonprofits and individuals, not destroying encampments.” As individuals, Petitt urges people to take a minute to meet their homeless neighbors and offer a gesture of assistance or support.