Washington, D.C., is one of only six places in the United States where homelessness has fallen since 2019.
Alongside its neighbor, Maryland, as well as Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Mississippi, and Wyoming, the District posted reductions while most of the nation saw increases. Since 2015, homelessness in D.C. has dropped more than 20%, compared to a nearly 40% jump nationwide.
Yet the Trump administration has singled out the city for a militarized crackdown, sending the National Guard into the streets and ordering homeless encampments to be dismantled.
The move follows President Donald Trump’s inflammatory claims that the city is “overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged out maniacs and homeless people,” even as both crime and homelessness rates sit at or near decade lows.
While Trump is making it about homelessness and crime, many say the president is targeting the District’s Black residents, who make up 41% of D.C.’s population, but account for 82.5 % of those unhoused.
White residents comprise 39.6% of the population, yet only 6.6% of those without shelter. Sixty percent of the homeless population is male.
“While we don’t yet know the full impact this decision will have on D.C. and the Black and minority communities Trump has suggested he may target next, we do know this: militarized over-policing will inevitably lead to increased fear and mistrust among communities that have too often been treated as occupied populations, rather than as citizens who deserve to be served and protected,” said Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Chair Rep. Yvette Clark (D-N.Y.) and members of the CBC in a statement.
The Numbers Behind the Targeting
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s point-in-time count, about 5,000 people were homeless in D.C. in 2025 — a 9% drop from 2024. The national total that year exceeded 770,000, the highest since at least 2007.
NBC News reported that, in 2016, more than 8,000 D.C. residents were unhoused. The number fell sharply by 2022 after the Biden administration provided emergency housing vouchers, including rooms in vacant hotels. When the funding ended, the count rose from 4,922 in 2023 to 5,615 in 2024, before declining again this year.
Most of the city’s homeless live in central, high-visibility areas — downtown, Union Station, Georgetown, and Foggy Bottom.
Under Trump’s order, encampments in these areas have been cleared, including one near the Kennedy Center where he serves as chairman, with workers dumping belongings into garbage trucks.
To be clear, bulldozing homeless encampments will not fix the problem in D.C., or anywhere. I don’t expect Trump (who has absolutely no interior life at all) to understand this,” one social media user wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, “out of sight, out of mind is not a strategy-it’s heartless cruelty.”
Age and Vulnerability
The city’s homeless population includes 7.9% senior citizens — higher than the 5.5% national share — and 18.6% are under 18.
High housing costs, more than double the national average, and a cost-of-living 40% above the U.S. average put stable housing out of reach for many.
“The recent news about the displacement of homeless individuals in Washington, DC, raises serious concerns about the treatment of vulnerable populations. Simply moving individuals out of sight does not address the root causes of homelessness or provide sustainable solutions,” Lived Experienced Advisors, an organization where 100% of the experts have experienced homelessness, wrote on X. “While the intention may be framed as a public safety measure, we must prioritize the human rights of those affected. Displacement can lead to further trauma and instability. Instead of punitive actions, we should focus on comprehensive strategies that include affordable housing, mental health support, and community resources.”
What Was Working Before Trump’s Order
D.C. had been making progress through targeted initiatives:
- D.C. Flex, offering low-income working families $8,400 annually for up to five years.
- The Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act gives tenants the right to buy their buildings when sold.
- An above-average number of housing vouchers to address chronic homelessness and assist vulnerable groups like homeless youth.
“D.C. had considerably more housing vouchers than other communities,” said Donald Whitehead Jr., executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless. “There has been a lot of work around making sure people were protected within the system.”
The Consequences of Sweeps
Experts say Trump’s tactics undermine years of progress.
“These sweeps demonize people and minimize their humanity,” Whitehead said. “When there’s negative talk about people experiencing homelessness, we see an increase in violence against them.”
Hilary Silver, a George Washington University professor of sociology and public policy, warns that encampment removals make it harder for outreach teams to find and assist people.
She told NBC News that she advocates for the “Housing First” model, which prioritizes permanent housing as the starting point for stability and services.
“When people have a stable place to stay,” she said, “it’s easier for them to receive the services that are available.”
Manufactured Crisis for Political Gain
The data shows D.C.’s homelessness problem is declining, not exploding. But with a homeless population that is overwhelmingly Black, the city has become an “easy pick” for a show of force.
Silver noted that challenges particular to D.C.’s Black homeless population include higher rates of disability, eviction, and poverty, along with experiencing racial discrimination.
The George Washington University professor explained that sweeps make it difficult for outreach teams to track and help homeless individuals. She and other experts said more funding from the federal government, higher wages, more affordable housing, and methods such as the “Housing First” approach should be employed instead of the sweeps.
“We promote Housing First in the District, because when people have a place — a stable place to stay — then it’s easier for them to receive the services that are available,” she said.
