A recent report from an organization advocating for homeless people, the
National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, notes that municipal codes are increasingly criminalizing activities that homeless individuals engage in out of necessity. The center’s survey of almost 200 cities revealed that:
- 43% prohibit sleeping in vehicles,
- 35% impose city-wide bans on camping in public,
- 33% impose city-wide bans on loitering in public,
- 24% impose city-wide bans on begging in public,
- 18% impose city-wide bans on sleeping in public, and
- 9% prohibit individuals and organizations from sharing food with homeless individuals.
The chart below shows how these numbers have changed in the last few years.
The report discusses the implications of these statistics and suggests policy alternatives.
An article on
National Public Radio discusses the issue and the report.
