Hey supporters,

One year ago today, the Supreme Court decided to make homelessness worse. They ruled in the case of Johnson v. Grants Pass that people can be arrested and ticketed for sleeping outside, even when they have nowhere else to go. The effects of the Grants Pass case have been absolutely devastating for homeless communities across the country.  

The past year has been hard for those of us who want to solve homelessness, and especially hard for those who live outside. We’ve seen: 

• The basic rights for our unhoused neighbors overturned,  
• The election of a President who talks openly about forcing homeless people into government-run detention camps, 
• Proposed budget cuts and policy changes that will make homelessness much worse; and, 
• Billionaires and politicians continue to put profit over people, all while the rent keeps getting higher. 

In the past year, over 320 laws that make it a crime to be homeless have been introduced. 220+ have passed. These laws are cruel, a waste of taxpayer money, and have only made homelessness worse.

More people are sleeping outside than ever before because housing is wildly unaffordable, and most people can't afford the basic costs of living. Instead of addressing that reality, politicians are giving handouts to billionaires and handcuffing poor people.  

But we're fighting back. 45 state bills have been defeated. Bills that reduce harm caused by SCOTUS have been introduced in 11 states and earlier this week, the Housing Not Handcuffs Act was introduced in Congress. Click here to watch the press conference featuring Reps. Jayapal and Frost.  

Use your voice to demand Housing Not Handcuffs. With just a few clicks, you can contact your representatives to demand that they support real solutions to homelessness: housing and support, not handcuffs or tickets. 

Thank you to all the organizations who have reached out to sign on their support. If you haven’t yet, please reach out to Jesse ([email protected]) and include your logo. 

Onward,

The Housing Not Handcuffs Campaign