WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Trump signed an executive order titled "Ending Crime and Disorder on America's Streets" on January 1, 2025. The order includes provisions for the involuntary treatment of homeless individuals.

A proposed Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) plan called "Safe Harbor," described in slides obtained this winter, suggests including veterans in a shift toward involuntary treatment. In March, the VA issued a memorandum of understanding with the Justice Department regarding state court guardianship for veterans.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins stated that the guardianship memorandum is not connected to the "Safe Harbor" proposal. Collins said, "We have veterans, not homeless, just veterans, who are in our facilities. They have no family, they have no representation and they really are not in a position to actually make competent choices for their own healthcare." He added, "The court will find somebody in the community, not a VA employee, not a VA attorney, (who) will then represent that veteran with the respect to their medical wellbeing, moving them along, getting them the healthcare that they need." Collins also said, "I've got veterans who are sitting in hospitals who can't make competent choices for themselves to get better… next-level care. We're helping them do that. … When it came out that we were attacking homeless and going after homeless I wanted to puke." Regarding the controversy, Collins said, "Somebody in our building leaked it to the Hill. And guess what? Representative Takano happily put out information that wasn't correct."

Representative Mark Takano, the lead Democrat on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, stated, "I've given VA multiple opportunities at public hearings and in congressional requests to clarify its intent, and it refuses to do so." Takano also said, "Doug Collins repeatedly fails to recognize or plan for the risks associated with guardianship, an industry rife with fraud and exploitation."

Ann Oliva, CEO of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, said, "What the administration has said publicly on this proposal is at odds with the documentation on the project and its pilot program. That original documentation was directly linked to the president's executive order , calling for involuntary commitment of people experiencing homelessness. I think it's disingenuous for anybody from the VA to say that this was meant for a completely different population."

According to government data from an annual one-night "point in time count," more than 30,000 U.S. military veterans are homeless. The number of homeless veterans has decreased significantly in the past decade. Experts attribute the decrease to robust funding and a "housing first" philosophy.