More cities are punishing homeless people for sleeping in public, a new report shows, amid an increase in Americans living on the streets.
Arresting or ticketing people who have nowhere else to go doesn’t help them find permanent housing, according to the National Law Center for Homelessness and Poverty report. Instead, policies criminalizing homelessness can make it more difficult to afford and qualify for housing.
The report out Tuesday comes while the Supreme Court considers reviewing a case on the legality of arresting unsheltered people when no shelter beds are available. It also follows a Trump administration memo proposing more police involvement in responses to homelessness.