Homelessness isn’t a crime.
It’s a common refrain among advocates and even the Department of Justice, which said so in an Idaho case last year.
“Our society, our Constitution doesn’t allow for people to be arbitrarily told what to do and where to go,” said Eric Tars, senior attorney for the D.C.-based National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty.
Yet we hear about homeless San Diegans receiving tickets, getting caught up in encampment sweeps and being ordered to move along though they seemingly have nowhere else to go.
I talked to attorneys, police officers, experts and activists about what the law allows – and doesn’t allow – and how those laws work in practice on San Diego streets.
Their message was clear: Homeless people have the same constitutional rights as anyone else, and that means working with them to get off the street is the best way to get them off the streets.
There are currently no posts to display.
Tent City Closes Down
Follow My Blog
Get new content delivered directly to your inbox.
Life On the Street: 