Trump's DC Occupation Costs 4 Times More Than It Would Take to House City's Entire Homeless Population

Trump has said one of his goals in DC is to do something about the homeless population. The problem with thinking on the right is that they believe that the most punitive actions are solutions for problems. Oftentimes, their punitive "solutions" cost more and are less effective than the so-called soft liberal policies they say are the problem.

Trump's DC Occupation Costs 4 Times More Than It Would Take to House City's Entire Homeless Population​

Last week, when Trump federalized Washington, DC's police force and deployed the National Guard to occupy its streets, one of his main orders was to "end vagrancy" by destroying homeless encampments and arresting and forcibly relocating the people taking shelter there.

But according to an investigation published on Wednesday by Hanna Homestead of the National Priorities Project, in collaboration with The Intercept, deploying the National Guard and "getting rid of the slums" is costing far more than it would cost to simply provide housing to every homeless person in the city.

Last week, when Trump federalized Washington, DC's police force and deployed the National Guard to occupy its streets, one of his main orders was to "end vagrancy" by destroying homeless encampments and arresting and forcibly relocating the people taking shelter there.

But according to an investigation published on Wednesday by Hanna Homestead of the National Priorities Project, in collaboration with The Intercept, deploying the National Guard and "getting rid of the slums" is costing far more than it would cost to simply provide housing to every homeless person in the city.


Governors from six US states have sent troops to Washington to help Trump's effort, swelling the ranks to nearly 2,100 who will soon be on patrol.

According to previous reporting, National Guard deployments cost the US government $530 per guard member each day. Using that figure, Homestead estimated that it would cost just over $1.1 million.

She added that "the number of troops will likely continue to grow. And with no deadline for the DC deployment, those costs could add up for months or even years."

According to the most recent data from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), there are about 5,600 people experiencing either sheltered and unsheltered homelessness in DC on a given night. Operating an affordable housing unit for each one of them, the data shows, costs about $45.44 per person, per day, on average in DC.

Providing affordable housing to every homeless person in DC would cost an estimated $255,166, which is 4.3 times less than the cost of Trump's military deployment.


Draconian measures cost draconian money. And we get told how we cannot force the government to spend to provide housing for the homeless. Yet the same people who declare how it's wasteful to spend money to provide housing to the homeless, but cheer the more costly use of troops to take them off the streets.

This is why you do not elect right-wing politicians if you want real solutions.
$50 * 30 = $1,500.00 a month which doesn’t cover rent much less rent + supportive services

Who told you this?
 
Who will take them off the streets when Trump's army of occupation leaves?
What happened to the US is broke, and we need to cut expenses.
Again for you mentally retarded types: it’s not an “occupation.”

Spending money to reduce crime is absolutely going to save money, overall.
 
Incorrect.
Millions have fled democrat states even you can look that up. The 2030 census will take over 10 seats from democrats and give them to the GOP. EC votes will also switch.

 
How about spending a million dollars per day in DC to provide economic development, like building businesses and creating jobs, as well as sheltering the homeless? That will save more black lives than this siege.
DC is a wealthy city under democrat control. Why does it require Republicans taking action to even think of doing something like that?
 
No, the waste of money is going on right now. DC is not even in the top 30 for crime. If you invest in economic development, crime goes down. You right-wingers think of everything in an ass backward way. This is a siege and the ONLY reason crime is lower this week is because people are scared to go outside. After awhile they will tire of being held captive by the government, and all hell will break loose.
Democrats have been and remain in control of the very wealthy city. If that is really a good idea, they should have thought of it themselves instead of relying on Republicans to take action.
 
If the government can spend a million per night for authoritarianism, it can provide shelter and a balanced diet.
Then it would follow that the democrat run government of DC could have done it a long time ago.
 
Millions have fled democrat states even you can look that up. The 2030 census will take over 10 seats from democrats and give them to the GOP. EC votes will also switch.

Republican states are worse. I live in a state that was fucked up by Republicans to such an extent that Republican leaders endorsed a Democrat for two terms as governor. So you can take your Democrat state garbage and stick it. People aren't moving places because they are Republican or Democrat. And if you live in a MAGA state, you're in real trouble.
 
Then it would follow that the democrat run government of DC could have done it a long time ago.
The federal government runs DC.
 
Democrats have been and remain in control of the very wealthy city. If that is really a good idea, they should have thought of it themselves instead of relying on Republicans to take action.
The federal government runs DC.
 
Since when do you drips give a hoot in hell about how much anything costs?
When they are the ones being cut off spending on gay operas in Columbia, in favor of spending on Americans
 
The federal government runs DC.
The mayor is a democrat, and you're trying to tell me that Quid Pro Joe was unable to work with a democrat mayor to provide all those services you're fantasizing about? The city gets all kinds of tourist money and has a lot of private services. The residents pay hefty taxes, and you're trying to tell me the democrat mayor couldn't figure out a way to make it happen?
 
15th post
No, the waste of money is going on right now. DC is not even in the top 30 for crime. If you invest in economic development, crime goes down. You right-wingers think of everything in an ass backward way. This is a siege and the ONLY reason crime is lower this week is because people are scared to go outside. After awhile they will tire of being held captive by the government, and all hell will break loose.

It’s been done your way for sixty years. You failed miserably.
 
Since when do you drips give a hoot in hell about how much anything costs?
When did your retarded dear leader?

Army reveals the real cost of Trump's birthday parade in ...​

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The Independent
https://www.the-independent.com › ... › US politics
Jul 24, 2025 — Trump administration Army 205h anniversary parade in Washington cost military branch $30 million, while drawing an estimated crowd of less than ...

Why would Trump have a parade in such a crime ridden city?
 
When did your retarded dear leader?

Army reveals the real cost of Trump's birthday parade in ...

View attachment 1154078
The Independent
https://www.the-independent.com › ... › US politics
Jul 24, 2025 — Trump administration Army 205h anniversary parade in Washington cost military branch $30 million, while drawing an estimated crowd of less than ...

Why would Trump have a parade in such a crime ridden city?
Right...You party pimp butt stabbers only care when the other team is doing the spending.

Precisely my point, which flew straight over your unprepossessing head. :laugh:
 
I doesn’t matter how much it costs.

It is made for TV political intimidation.

A flagrant appeal to bigotry and a cosplay of the white supremacist dream of a white racis police state.
 
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