by Matthew Leighton-Jones ‘25

On December 3, The Montgomery County Council unanimously voted to add roughly $3.6 million to the funds for homelessness services. This is intended to alleviate issues that came with homelessness service funds that were cut in May. The county has been using motels as shelters because of major increases in the homeless population. Nearly half of the total will be going to short term housing and a resolution program.

The extra funding comes at a time when the issue of homelessness has become more prevalent across the country. The Supreme Court ruled last year that cities have the right to arrest and fine homeless people who are camping outside on public property. It’s common to see tents on the sidewalk on the West Coast, but the cities couldn’t legally tear down the encampments and arrest those living in them.

President Donald Trump has stated his plan to help combat homelessness as a shift from trying to house to sending them to mental or drug treatment institutions to address mental illness and/or drug addiction. Trump has made it clear that he focusing on the dangers he says homeless people present to city residents and visitors. Trump’s policy closely resembles that of Republican president Richard Nixon in the 1970s.