Title: Homeless Bill of Rights - Wikipedia
Headings: Homeless Bill of Rights
Homeless Bill of Rights
Contents
Overview
Criminalization of Homelessness
Controversy over Legislation Affecting the Homeless
Legislation in the United States
Rhode Island
Illinois
Connecticut
California
Colorado
See also
References
External links

Content: Homeless Bill of Rights - Wikipedia
Homeless Bill of Rights
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The Homeless Bill of Rights (also Homeless Person's Bill of Rights and Acts of Living bill) refers to legislation protecting the civil and human rights of homeless people. These laws affirm that homeless people have equal rights to medical care, free speech, free movement, voting, opportunities for employment, and privacy. Legislation of this type is currently being debated at the state level in the United States. Over 120 organizations in five different states have shown public support for a Homeless Bill of Rights and are working towards its implementation. A Homeless Bill of Rights has become law in Rhode Island, Connecticut and Illinois and is under consideration by several other U.S. states, including California, Delaware, Minnesota, Missouri, Oregon, Tennessee, and Vermont. Contents
1 Overview
2 Criminalization of Homelessness
3 Controversy over Legislation Affecting the Homeless
4 Legislation in the United States
4.1 Rhode Island
4.2 Illinois
4.3 Connecticut
4.4 California
4.5 Colorado
5 See also
6 References
7 External links
Overview
Homeless Bill of Rights laws affirm that people living on the street have a reasonable expectation of privacy in their property. While the wording and objectives of proposed bills vary from state to state, most proposed legislation seeks to protect these central rights for all unhoused individuals: The right to use public spaces without fear of discrimination or harassment by law enforcement
The right to vote
The right to non-obstructively seek shelter, social services, legal aid, and education
The right to privacy of property in public spaces
The right to feel safe
This type of legislation is groundbreaking because it asserts that having a permanent and valid address is not a requisite for retaining basic rights. Many cities around the United States attempt to shift the problem of housing insecurity outside their jurisdiction by criminalizing homelessness. The criminalization of homelessness creates a vicious cycle of citations, fines, imprisonment, and reduced employability that further increases the difficulty of securing stable housing.