Criminalization Fails to End Homelessness in San Francisco
“Antipoverty laws and policing can disproportionately impact the well-being and housing status of people enduring homelessness through three primary mechanisms: antihomelessness ordinances, such as resting in public spaces and vehicles, soliciting money, and sharing food, restrict the life-sustaining activities those experiencing homelessness have little choice but to perform in public; quality of life ordinances, such as those prohibiting “uncivil” behavior such as drinking, smoking in parks, and vending without a license, often punish behavior that would be noncriminal if performed in a private space or home; and the US criminal justice system disadvantages people with low-incomes through mechanisms such as high bail amounts. People experiencing homelessness are more prone to arrest because they tend to reside in neighborhoods that experience higher levels of policing, are more likely to be convicted because of a lack of legal resources, and may face harsher sentences because of a previous record of antihomelessness and quality of life offenses.”