Title: Are There Any Special Laws Regarding Homeless People - HG.org
Headings: Are There Any Special Laws Regarding Homeless People
Are There Any Special Laws Regarding Homeless People
Anti-Homelessness Legislation
Homelessness Is Not a Recognized Protected Class
What You Can Do

Content: In Jones v. City of Los Angeles, a United States Court of Appeals held that the Eighth Amendment to the US Constitution prohibits cities from punishing involuntary sitting, lying, or sleeping in public spaces when it is an unavoidable consequence of homelessness. Unfortunately, the case was later settled out of court and the decision was vacated, meaning its precedential value on American law may be rather limited. Another approach to criminalizing homelessness has been to attack those who seek to help the homeless. Aid workers dispensing food to homeless people have been subject to fine or arrest in some cities. Other cities have outlawed giving money to panhandlers. Violators can be ticketed. This, too, has led to challenges in court with mixed results. Homelessness Is Not a Recognized Protected Class
Unlike other groups in American culture that enjoy special protections against discrimination, the homeless are not considered a protected class. Thus, legislation that specifically targets the homeless can be enforced and upheld so long as it does not deny the homeless of other constitutional rights and the law is applied uniformly without bias toward one of the classes that are protected (such as racial, ethnic, or religious minorities). As a result, various communities have taken ridiculous steps to discourage or criminalize homelessness.