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IllegaltobeHomelessTheCriminalizationofHomelessnessinU.S.Cities
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AffordableHousingCrisis• Averagerentshaveincreasedfor23straightquarters,andwere15.2%higherin2014thanin2009• 7millionunitshortageofaffordablerentalhousingavailabletoELIhouseholds• Lossof10,000federallysubsidizedunitseachyear• Only1in4eligiblehouseholdsreceiveassistance• Overhalfofallrentersand75%ofELIhouseholdsarecostburdened• Riseinvisiblehomelessness
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ChooseYourOwnNightmare
• Homelessveteran• Domesticviolencesurvivorwithsmallchildren• LGBTQyouth• Mentallyillperson
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BanonCampinginPublic,City-Wide
BanonLoitering,Loafing,orVagrancyin
Public,City-Wide
BanonBegginginPublic,City-Wide
BanonSleepinginPublic,CityWide
Num
bero
fU.S.C
itiesW
ithCity
-WideBa
ns
Trends Show Overall Increase in City-Wide Bans
20112013
35%In
crea
se
60%In
crea
se
25%In
crea
se
NoCh
ange
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CampinginPublic
• 60%increaseincity-widebansoncampinginpublic• “Camping”isbroadlydefined
• Indiciaofcamping• Sleepingoutside
• Cangovernuseofpublicandprivateproperty• Violates8thAmendmentprotectionagainstcruelandunusualpunishment
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DOJStatementofInterestBrief:Bellv.Boise
• “ItshouldbeuncontroversialthatpunishingconductthatisauniversalandunavoidableconsequenceofbeinghumanviolatestheEighthAmendment…Sleepingisalife-sustainingactivity—i.e.,itmustoccuratsometimeinsomeplace.Ifapersonliterallyhasnowhereelsetogo,thenenforcementoftheanti-campingordinanceagainstthatpersoncriminalizesherforbeinghomeless.”
• Bellcasedismissedonstandinggrounds,butappealtothe9thCircuitispending
• Positiveimpactacrossthecountry
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Panhandling• 25%increaseincity-widebansonbegginginpublic• Needforaccesstocash• Commonrestrictions:• Broaddefinitionof“aggressive”panhandling• Bufferzones• Restrictionofvocalrequests
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SuccessfulChallengestoPanhandlingLaws
• Reedv.TownofGilbert• Whenisaregulationcontentbased?• Content-basedrestrictionsubjecttostrictscrutiny• Viewpointdiscriminationoneformofcontent-baseddiscrimination• SinceReed,anti-panhandlinglawshavesincebeenstruckdowninthe1st,7th,and10thCircuits
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SittingandLyingDown
• 43%increaseinlawsprohibitingsittingandlyingdowninpublic• Overlapwithtrespasslawscanresultinbanishment• Noevidencethatsit/lielawsimproveeconomicactivityinacommunity• Costlytoimplementandenforce
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CriminalizationLawsAreExpensive• Wastestaxpayerdollarsbytemporarilycyclingpeoplethroughthecostlycriminaljusticesystem
• Exposescitiestoexpensivelitigation• Threatensavailabilityoffederalfunding• HUDNOFA&CoCfunding• $1.9billioninfederalhomelessassistancegrants
• Grantedupto2pointstoCoCsthathaveimplementedspecificstrategiestopreventcriminalization
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CostofCriminalizationvs.Housing• EconomicRoundtablestudyofLosAngelesCounty• 10,000homelessvs.1,000inhousingprogram
• 41%costsavings• CentralFloridaCommissiononHomelessness• Trackedhomelesspeopleover10yearperiod
• 68%costsavingsperpersoneachyear
• SeattleUniversitySchoolofLaw• LessthanhalfofordinancesenforcedinSeattle&Spokaneover5yearperiod
• $3.7millionredirectedtowardhousingcouldsaveestimated$11million
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HousingFirst
• Federalpolicyshiftoverpastdecade• Provenstrategyforendinghomelessness• Removesunnecessarybarrierstohousing• Sobriety• Compliancewithservices• Criminalrecords
• Supportiveservicesprovidedasnecessary
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LessonsfromEfforttoEndVeteranHomelessness
• Multiplenationalinitiatives:• Mayor’sChallenge• Zero:2016
• EffectiveStrategies:• Broadstakeholderengagement• Government,PHAs,lawenforcement,philanthropy,landlords,etc.
• Collaboration• DataSharing• Outreach&ByNameLists• Prioritization
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ImprovedLawEnforcementPractices
• Policecanbeallies• Improvedpolicetraining• Washington,DC• RhodeIsland
• HomelessOutreachTeams• Communicationbetweendepartmentsofgovernment• Tacoma,WA• ProblemsinMiamiBeach,FL
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IncreaseAccesstoAffordableHousing
• FederalGovernment$• NationalHousingTrustFund• TitleVofMcKinney-VentoHomelessAssistanceAct
• Dedicatedfundingstreamsatstate&locallevels• Miami-DadeHomeless&DomesticViolenceTax
• Removebarrierstorentalhousing• Landlordprograms• Sourceofincomediscrimination
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HomelessBillsofRights
• RhodeIsland,Connecticut,Illinois• Movefreelyinpublicplaces• Equaltreatmentbygovernmentagencies
• RighttoRestAct• California&Oregon• Prohibitlocalitiesfromcriminalizingactsofrest
• Indianapolis,IN• Homelessasprotectedclass• Madison,WI• Washington,DC
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HowCanYouGetInvolved?
• Reportand/orlitigateviolationsofhomelesspersons’civilrights• Opposecriminalizationlawsandpracticesatthelocallevel• Supportlegislationthatwouldprohibitcriminalizationandpromoteconstructivealternatives• Joinourcampaign!
