President Donald Trump made clearing homeless encampments part of a federal takeover of Washington, D.C. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said 48 encampments have been cleared throughout the city since the federal takeover. Seven people displaced by those clearings experienced varied outcomes: one entered a shelter, one left for Virginia, one stayed with a friend, and others relocated to different street spots in DC. Street outreach providers characterize the relocations as typical. Miriam's Kitchen reported no arrests or involuntary hospitalizations tied to the moves, but most people are simply relocating within the city. Forced relocations create acute stress and disrupt plans and routines for those affected.
Washingtonian spoke with seven people who have been displaced by encampment clearings since the federal takeover began. One has entered a shelter, another left for Virginia, one called in a favor to stay with a friend, and the rest have moved to other spots on streets in DC. Street outreach providers say that this pattern is typical.
Thankfully, we haven't been seeing arrests over not moving. We haven't been seeing involuntary hospitalizations. We haven't been seeing people getting moved involuntarily out of DC, says Adam Rocap, deputy CEO at Miriam's Kitchen, which provides meals, case management, and other other social services for the unhoused. Most people are just relocating somewhere else in DC.
This was wrong what happened to me, she says. The forced move, she says, has put her in a situation where instead of planning for the future-she just got an associate's degree from the College of Southern Maryland this past June and wants to work for FEMA-she's left trying to rebuild a sense of routine and normalcy. Right now, she and her boyfriend are still trying to stay in DC because it's close to his workplace, but they're also evaluating how conspicuous prospective spots on the street are.
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