The Criminalization Of Homelessness
150 million people in the world are estimated to be homeless. However, 1.6 billion, more than twenty percent of the world’s population lacks adequate housing. Inadequate housing contends to be housing that exists in poor conditions, unsafe or situated in a high density area. By definition a person experiencing homelessness contends to be an individual without permanent housing who may live on the streets; stay in a shelter, mission, single room occupancy facilities, abandoned building or vehicle; or in any other unstable or non-permanent situation. Homelessness in the United States and around the globe continues growing at an increasingly fast pace. The criminalization of homelessness refers to measures that prohibit life-sustaining activities such as sleeping/camping, eating, sitting, and/or asking for money/resources in public spaces. These ordinances include criminal penalties for violations of these acts. The criminalization of homelessness contends to be an erroneous method of response to the growing crisis of homelessness because it violates human rights, laws criminalizing homelessness are counter productive, and it contends to be an inefficient allocation of resources

II. Counter Argument …show more content…
Ultimately, many of these measures are designed to keep homeless people out of sight, and at times out of a given city. For example, in Hawaii, experts believe that the increase of homelessness “thrust the image of people sleeping on beaches alongside the state’s framed one of a relaxing tropical paradise. In other words, laws against homeless persons help keep an attractive view of a city or state. But what should be more important, struggling to achieve and keep a set image of perfection, or allowing people to be able to sleep, sit, eat or stand