NEW: Trump Tackles Major Blue City Issue With Latest Executive Order

President Trump signed an executive order Thursday calling on states and cities to end “endemic vagrancy” by rehousing homeless people, including drug addicts and those with severe mental issues, in “treatment centers.”

The order authorizes federal funding to prioritize “shifting homeless individuals into long-term institutional settings for humane treatment through the appropriate use of civil commitment.” The order notes that on average, roughly 274,000 Americans were sleeping on the streets on a nightly basis under the previous administration.

“The overwhelming majority of these individuals are addicted to drugs, have a mental health disorder, or both,” the order says. “The Federal Government and the States have spent tens of billions of dollars on failed programs that address homelessness but not its root causes, leaving other citizens vulnerable to public safety threats.”

Trump has for years called on cities and states to address the homeless epidemic, which has led to permanent homeless encampments in many of the nation’s blue cities, including Washington D.C. He has also proposed the reopening of insane asylums to house individuals who cannot fit into society after the practice was discontinued in the 1980’s.

It is not immediately clear how much federal funding will be directed towards the issue, or whether there would be a renewed effort to re-open shuttered institutions as part of a public safety strategy. The order identifies “assisted outpatient treatment” as an option in addition to “institutional treatment.”

In order to entice states and municipalities to comply, the president announced that those who already crack down on vagrancy, open air drug markets, loitering or squatting, and tracking sex offenders, will be eligible for additional grants. “President Trump is delivering on his commitment to Make America Safe Again and end homelessness across America,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

“By removing vagrant criminals from our streets and redirecting resources toward substance abuse programs, the Trump Administration will ensure that Americans feel safe in their own communities and that individuals suffering from addiction or mental health struggles are able to get the help they need.”

In a 6-3 decision last year, the Supreme Court ruled that localities have a right to impose fines on homeless people who camp without permission on public property.