US states pass numerous anti-homeless laws, activists raise concerns

Across the US, many anti-homeless laws are being passed due to a reduction in funds for social services which has become an issue of concern among advocates of homeless people.In the state of Missouri, a new law came into effect on January 1 which states that sleeping on state property is an act of criminal offence. For the homeless, sleeping under highways or in public parks can result in fines of up to $750 or imprisonment of 15 days.

The law was criticised by the advocates of homeless people who claimed that it targets the homeless populations of Missouri unfairly. Missouri’s governor Mike Parson signed the law last June.

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“We are absolutely hearing that law enforcement is using this new law that’s coming as reason to displace people already,” said non-profit Empower Missouri's advocacy director Sarah Owsley to St Louis Public Radio, days before the officials brought the law into effect.

The Republican-backed measure, which included the appointment of mental health director Valerie Huhn by Parson, was opposed by many people, stated the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

“When people experiencing homelessness have criminal justice histories, it is difficult to find housing,” Huhn had written to the governor’s budget office in a May 2022 letter, referring to the criminal consequences of the law.

After the law came into effect, the authorities decreased funds for homeless services in Missouri and made changes to other funding streams.

“We’re going to see less money into the homeless services community over this length of time. And so that’s very concerning, we’re already an extremely underfunded resource,” Owsley said.

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The local municipalities and cities in the US have also sanctioned measures which affect homeless individuals, through forced hospitalisation or criminal consequences.

Authorities have faced backlash after officials made attempts to remove homeless encampments or put a limit to where homeless people can set up their camps.

The Los Angeles city council in August voted for banning homeless encampments within 500 feet of daycares and schools, an extension of the anti-camping law of the city which has empowered police to remove encampments.

People Assisting the Homeless spokesperson Tyler Renner said, “Enforcement of anti-camping ordinances ... only displaces people and makes it harder for trained outreach staff to establish trust again."

(With inputs from agencies)