Trump is pushing to institutionalize homeless people. That may include veterans

Key Points:

• More than 30,000 U.S. military veterans are homeless, but numbers have declined due to robust funding and a "housing first" approach that offers housing without prerequisites.
• The Trump administration proposed a VA plan called "Safe Harbor," which includes involuntary treatment for homeless veterans, sparking controversy and concerns about forced institutionalization.
• VA Secretary Doug Collins defends the program as a way to help veterans who cannot make competent healthcare decisions, denying that it targets homeless veterans specifically, while critics accuse the VA of withholding information and risking exploitation.
• Outreach workers like Pedro Jauregui and Veronica Hood emphasize building trust with homeless veterans to encourage voluntary acceptance of help, highlighting the complex emotions and pride involved in veterans accepting assistance.
• An example of successful outreach is 87-year-old Navy veteran Curtis Ervin, who after decades of homelessness agreed to seek VA services and housing support through the efforts of U.S. Vets outreach workers.