Presidential Address to the Nation

Strengthening the Union: A National Initiative to End Systemic Homelessness

My fellow Americans,

Tonight, I want to speak about something we all see — in our cities, in our towns, under our bridges, and sometimes just outside our own neighborhoods.

It is not a distant issue.
It is not someone else’s problem.

It is homelessness in the United States of America.

For too long, we have approached homelessness as a local problem, a temporary emergency, or a challenge for charities alone to solve. Good people have worked hard. Many lives have been helped. But the truth is clear:

Our efforts have been fragmented, disconnected, and too often unable to restore lasting stability for our fellow citizens.

And when any American is left without shelter, without direction, or without hope, the strength of our Union itself is tested.

America has faced moments like this before.

After the Civil War, our nation entered Reconstruction — a time when we had to rebuild not only structures, but trust, dignity, and belonging. Today, in a different way, we face another reconstruction moment — one that calls us to restore connection between our institutions and our people.

Homelessness is not simply about housing.

It is about coordination.
It is about dignity.
And ultimately, it is about whether our systems work together as one nation.

That is why today I have signed an Executive Order to strengthen federal coordination in addressing homelessness across the United States.

This order establishes a national coordinating role within the Executive Office of the President — the Homeless Servant Czar — who will work through the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness to align federal, state, local, private, and community efforts into one unified strategy.

This is not about creating more bureaucracy.

It is about making government work better together.

It is about ensuring that resources already authorized by law are used wisely, efficiently, and compassionately.

And because America has always drawn strength from the wisdom of its people, the order also establishes advisory bodies known as the Councils of We the People.

These councils will bring together veterans, service providers, legal experts, faith and community leaders, local officials, and citizens from across our country — offering practical guidance grounded in real experience.

There is an ancient principle, shared across many traditions, that says:

“In the multitude of counselors there is safety.”

America has always understood this truth. Our democracy itself is built upon it.

We will listen broadly.
We will act responsibly.
And we will move forward together.

This initiative places special emphasis on our veterans — men and women who served our nation and must never be left without a path home. It also focuses on families, individuals struggling with mental health and addiction challenges, and communities seeking safe and humane solutions.

Let me be clear:

Compassion and order are not opposites.
Public safety and human dignity go hand in hand.
And national strength begins when every citizen has a place within the American story.

This effort will not succeed through government alone.

It will require partnerships with governors and mayors, nonprofits and businesses, faith communities and neighborhood leaders. It will require innovation, accountability, and shared responsibility.

But America has never failed when we choose unity over division and purpose over resignation.

Throughout our history, we have renewed the promise of our founding — that all people are created equal and deserve the opportunity to pursue life with dignity.

Today we take another step toward fulfilling that promise.

Not perfectly.
Not overnight.
But together — as one people, under one Constitution, working toward a stronger Union.

May God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America.