Many cities have passed laws that prohibit homeless people from begging as well as sleeping, sitting, and/or "loitering" in public. They have also been unwelcoming to homeless people by designing public spaces to be uncomfortable, or by regularly 'cleaning up' public spaces used by the homeless.

Do you think that such laws and policies unfairly criminalize the homeless? Or are they necessary to protect the public?

Question

Andres Jensen

History

14 October, 00:01

Many cities have passed laws that prohibit homeless people from begging as well as sleeping, sitting, and/or "loitering" in public. They have also been unwelcoming to homeless people by designing public spaces to be uncomfortable, or by regularly 'cleaning up' public spaces used by the homeless.

Do you think that such laws and policies unfairly criminalize the homeless? Or are they necessary to protect the public?

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Answers (1)

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Emely Walsh · Answer 1

This is an opinion question. I personally think it does criminalize the homeless because when the economy falls into the trash, it gets hard for minimum wage workers to keep up with bills. The excuse of protecting people from the public I find to be a, well, excuse. Instead of making the spaces unwelcoming they should make it easier for the homeless.