Poverty, Planning & Politics

Hey everyone, I have a bit of a special request here for everybody reading. I know that across the country, there are many laws specially designed to discourage homeless people from simply living within municipal borders. Laws that criminalize actions such as sleeping in public, setting up tents under highways, and even laws that make it illegal for a person to feed homeless individuals. There are also cases where the police will target homeless people when enforcing laws such as loitering, jaywalking and other crimes that are hardly ever accounted for when it comes to anyone else.

A lot of practices such as these may go on because homeless people are viewed as a nuisance, and because that outlook is a lot simpler than having to face the truth and admit that the structure of our economic system is inherently flawed, and in need of careful and detailed change.

We occasionally see stories in the newspaper or online of homeless people being treated as if they weren't human, as if it was against the American moral and legal code to be without a home, and that this was their fault. But stories like this seldom receive enough attention to make the news. In conversations with homeless individuals, activists, and even classmates, I heard several stories from people who had witnessed homeless people being harassed by the police, kicked out of their homes, or leaving behind and losing all of their belongings on the street once they were arrested.

I want to hear about the instances in which homeless individuals and families have been criminalized in your city. Not everything makes the news, but now it can! If you consider a blog with a handful of regular viewers news... Stories that are sent in to me from readers across the country (or across the world!) who have witnessed or otherwise know about homeless people being treated unfairly in their communities will be posted on the blog periodically for everyone to read. Small steps like this towards public awareness can make a big difference in long-term public policy outcomes, so send in those stories!

You can send your stories to me by sending an e-mail to davidboston88@gmail.com.

As always, thank you for reading.

- David