President Donald Trump is pushing for a major crackdown on homeless camps in California, as the number of people living on the streets continues to rise rapidly, The Washington Post reports.
Trump could invoke the National Emergencies Act of 1976 to declare a national emergency in California and could also invoke the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act of 1988 to accomplish his goal.
The number of homeless people in Los Angeles increased from 52,765 in 2018 to 58,936 this year. In Alameda County, which includes Oakland, homelessness increased by 43%. In San Francisco, there was a 17% rise.
Trump has sent top administration officials from the White House, Department of Housing and Urban Development and Domestic Policy Council to California this week for a round of talks.
White House spokesperson Judd Deere told the Post Trump is continuing to look for solutions for homelessness.
“Like many Americans, the president has taken notice of the homelessness crisis, particularly in cities and states where the liberal policies ... are combining to dramatically increase poverty and public health risks," Deere said. “President Trump has directed his team to go further and develop a range of policy options for consideration to deal with this tragedy.”
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