Trump's New Executive Order Could Impact Arizona's Growing Homelessness Crisis

On Thursday, President Donald Trump issued a comprehensive executive order that might substantially change Arizona's approach to addressing the state's growing homelessness issue, especially in Maricopa County, where the number of people without a home has increased by 28% in the last year.

There were 9,435 homeless people in Maricopa County at the 2025 Point-in-Time count, which was 3% more than the year before. According to the count, over 50% of homeless people were not in shelter, and the number of people without shelter has grown by 28% since the last count.

Federal funding that had provided more than 1,000 shelter beds in the area has ended, leaving fewer resources available at a time when the need has increased, making the situation more difficult.

What Trump's Order Means for Arizona

Under the executive order, "Ending Crime and Disorder on America's Streets," Attorney General Pam Bondi receives instructions to partner with federal agencies in order to give funding to states and communities that address homelessness with force. If Arizona meets certain requirements listed in the order, it may be eligible for federal aid.

In order to be eligible for federal grants that are prioritized, Arizona communities would have to:

• Actively enforce prohibitions on open drug use in public spaces.
• Crack down on urban camping and loitering.
• Prevent urban squatting.
• Track the locations of registered sex offenders.

The decision places a major focus on extending civil commitment, which is the legal procedure for forcing people with mental illness or drug addiction into treatment centers against their will. 

According to Trump's directive, court rulings and consent agreements that now restrict the speed at which local governments can transfer homeless people from the streets into institutional treatment facilities must be overturned.

According to the administration, this strategy aims to address the underlying causes of homelessness. The executive order states that almost two-thirds of homeless people have a history of hard drug use, and an equal amount have mental health issues.

Currently, the Arizona Department of Housing, does not directly develop or own residences; instead, it funds community partners. In order to produce affordable housing solutions, the department partners with local governments, nonprofits, developers, and faith-based organizations.

With the executive directive, public safety and institutional treatment will take precedence over the current housing-first strategy. If Arizona's state and local governments implement more strict enforcement tactics against drug use and public camping, this could result in access to more federal money.

As execution details are worked out, it will be easier to determine how well this strategy works to meet Arizona's current problems, such as the recent loss of federal shelter funds and the 28% increase in the number of people without shelter.er