August 14, 2014

Trend Toward Criminalizing Homelessness

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. 



Source: No Safe Place
The report discusses the implications of these statistics and suggests policy alternatives.

An article on National Public Radio discusses the issue and the report.