John,

Across the country, homelessness continues to increase, and those experiencing homelessness continue to face arrests, fines, and harassment from police.

Arrests and fines only make a bad situation worse. Punitive measures like these can actually make it more difficult for unhoused individuals to secure a stable residence, creating a vicious cycle of dispossession and incarceration.

In a growing number of localities, a person can end up in jail simply for trying to find a place to sleep. In the case of Grants Pass, Oregon, people are being ticketed and arrested simply for sleeping outdoors, even if there are no indoor spaces available. This case is now under review by the Supreme Court; if upheld, we may see still more punitive measures in every state.

We must stop this waste of public resources and prevent such infringements on the rights of the unhoused. Demand that Congress address the housing crisis and protect the unhoused from the vicious cycle of inadequate resources and arrests.

he root causes of homelessness can be found in the combined shortage of affordable housing and the ever-increasing gap between the cost of housing and people’s incomes. To solve the problem, we need to address these root causes. It’s useless to punish the inevitable results.

Fortunately, effective models and legislative solutions have been proposed. The Housing First model calls for providing stable housing along with physical and mental health care and substance abuse counseling as needed according to the individual. This model has succeeded in reducing homelessness among veterans, and has received bipartisan support.  

Two promising bills to support are the Ending Homelessness Act and the Housing Crisis Response Act. The first would ensure a basic level of rental assistance for needy households, while outlawing discrimination against renters. The second would be a groundbreaking direct investment in affordable housing across the country.

Legislation based on models of housing affordability and respect for human dignity will have far reaching beneficial consequences for society, much more effective than locking up people who are struggling to survive, and confiscating their extremely limited resources in punitive fines.

Help make it happen. Sign the petition to Congress and stop the useless ticketing and arrests of unhoused people.

Thank you for helping address the homelessness crisis in our country.

- DFA AF Team