Homelessness Crisis: The Damaging Cycle of Criminalization and Its Impact on America
A significant moment of distress and despair occurred when I found myself without a home – a situation that countless individuals across America have faced. Unable to secure affordable housing, I resorted to living in my car, a red Subaru Forester. However, the unfortunate reality is that residing in one’s vehicle is illegal in San Diego, resulting in mounting fines and late fees.
As I struggled to pay these fines, my car was ultimately impounded by the city, leaving me without the last remaining door I could lock at night. To exacerbate matters, the inability to renew my driver’s license due to the financial burden prevented me from obtaining employment that required a basic Class C license.
In hopes of earning some income, I resorted to collecting recyclables using a grocery cart. However, I was arrested by the police for petty theft of the cart, effectively eliminating my chances of passing a background check.
My experiences are not unique. A 2019 survey conducted by the Urban Institute revealed that almost two-thirds of individuals experiencing homelessness were unable to pay their most recent citations. Furthermore, participants in the 2023 California Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness emphasized that an additional $300 to $500 per month would have prevented their descent into homelessness.
Forced into living in encampments, I was constantly uprooted due to sweeps. On one stormy night around 2010, a patrol car officer instructed me to vacate a carport by the time he returned. Although I complied to the best of my ability, I required more time to gather my soaking-wet belongings and bags of recyclables, which were my sole means of income. However, upon the officer’s return merely thirty minutes later, I was still present, resulting in an adversarial and distressing encounter. Present-day encounters with law enforcement continue to elicit anxiety due to this past experience.
The existence of laws that criminalize living on the streets empower police to target unhoused individuals, without addressing the underlying issues of exorbitant rents and the lack of affordable housing. San Diego’s mayor and City Council have even expanded the reach of criminalization beyond shelters and designated campsites, despite the fact that there aren’t enough safe and affordable homes available for those in need. It’s important to note that even a simple warrant can disqualify someone from accessing housing vouchers, drug and mental health treatment programs, and negatively impact their future job prospects and ability to secure housing.
The truth is, policies that punish individuals for being unhoused offer no assistance to those who have been forced into homelessness. Unfortunately, this pursuit of criminalization extends beyond local jurisdictions and has become a widespread problem throughout the United States. Oregon has made it illegal to sleep in tents during the day, Missouri has outlawed sleeping in state parks, and Tennessee has even elevated the act of living in a tent to a felony offense. Almost every state in the nation has enacted laws targeting people experiencing homelessness, as reported by the National Homelessness Law Center.
Our leaders hold the power to implement policies that provide permanent housing solutions for individuals experiencing homelessness. However, instead of focusing on long-term solutions, they opt for temporary measures that involve police intervention against individuals who have no alternatives or places to go. Throughout my nearly twelve years of living on the streets, police officers harassed me daily, inquiring about my activities, checking my identity, scrutinizing my records, and commanding me to relocate.
The police force itself does not possess the capacity to solve homelessness. Their primary function does not involve providing long-term housing solutions, and allocating budget towards law enforcement does not address the underlying issues of housing costs and poverty. Consequently, the criminalization of my unhoused status provided every police officer I encountered with an invitation to target me.
The current situation has left both housed and unhoused individuals exasperated. However, resorting to police intervention is not a viable solution. The only real solution lies in ensuring that every unhoused person has access to a home, offering a pathway out of homelessness.
In conclusion, the detrimental cycle of criminalization exacerbates the already dire circumstances of individuals experiencing homelessness, without addressing the core issues of housing affordability and availability. Policymakers must prioritize long-term solutions that focus on providing permanent housing rather than relying on temporary measures that perpetuate the suffering of the unhoused population. A systemic shift is necessary to combat the homelessness crisis that plagues America, offering hope and stability to those who need it most.
