With the federal control of D.C.’s police force and the deployment of the National Guard to address the Capitol’s so-called “homelessness and crime” problem, the question remains: does former President Donald Trump have any real plan to help people experiencing homelessness? His current approach — relocating unhoused individuals elsewhere — is not only ineffective, it’s inhumane.

In this episode, I’m joined by Lisel Petis, Policy Director of Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties at the R Street Institute, to unpack the roots of the homelessness crisis, the policy failures driving it, and evidence-based solutions that actually work. We discuss why simply pushing people out of sight ignores the deeper causes — like affordable housing shortages, mental health care gaps, and systemic poverty — and explore compassionate, sustainable strategies for creating real change.