To learn more about the District's comprehensive plan to address homelessness, please view the District's Homeward DC plan here. Because this level of system transformation will take some time, the District has in the meantime established a protocol for addressing encampments.

Feb 1, 2022 · Understanding both the reasons why individuals experiencing homelessness live in encampments and how servicing encampments can advance a city’s homelessness response is central to developing a more compassionate and effective local government approach to …

The National Park Service sweeps an encampment in Washington, DC. In response to the impact of homelessness in their communities, municipal governments in the United States regularly conduct sweeps of tent encampments, forcibly dispersing people from public or private land where they are camping without authorization.This is a partial list of homeless encampment sweeps …

When an encampment is prioritized for closure, the process must be implemented in a humane and trauma-informed way, and the goal must be to connect every person to housing and services to help them overcome and avoid future experiences of homelessness.

People experiencing unsheltered homelessness may perceive staying in an encampment as a safer option than staying on their own in an unsheltered location or in an emergency shelter; however, encampments can create both real and perceived challenges for the people who stay in them as well as for neighbors and the broader community.

Sep 26, 2024 · As the homelessness crisis grows, it’s common for the public and politicians to conflate homeless encampments and criminal activity. But how much do these camps really affect crime in cities?

Cities across the U.S. are struggling with and cracking down on tent encampments as the number of homeless people grows, largely due to a lack of affordable housing. Homeless people and their advocates say sweeps are cruel and costly, and there aren’t enough homes or beds for everyone. (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer)

Mar 8, 2023 · Homeless encampments — and the debate over what to do about them — explained. People living in tents has become one of the most urgent issues in American politics.

May 28, 2024 · This guidance is intended to help public leaders and community partners in cities, counties, states, and federal agencies develop and implement humane and effective responses to encampments on public land using All In: The Federal Strategic Plan …

Apr 28, 2024 · Today, USICH released new guidance— 19 Strategies for Communities to Address Encampments Humanely and Effectively —to help local leaders and community partners act with urgency to successfully and compassionately address the …