{"id":21282,"date":"2023-05-22T09:00:45","date_gmt":"2023-05-22T13:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress-537697-2997182.cloudwaysapps.com\/?p=21282"},"modified":"2023-09-25T12:59:44","modified_gmt":"2023-09-25T16:59:44","slug":"homeless-sweeps-on-the-rise-more-politicians-opt-to-criminalize-homelessness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress-537697-2997182.cloudwaysapps.com\/homeless-sweeps-on-the-rise-more-politicians-opt-to-criminalize-homelessness\/","title":{"rendered":"Homeless Sweeps on the Rise: More Politicians Opt to Criminalize Homelessness"},"content":{"rendered":"
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This is part one of a three part series about homeless sweeps and the criminalization of homelessness.<\/em><\/p>\n

As homelessness continues to increase nationwide, adversely affecting millions of people, politicians are progressively pushing for options that criminalize homelessness rather than more effective alternatives.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

The question, of course, is\u00a0<\/span>why<\/span><\/em>. Studies show that criminalizing homelessness is ineffective and expensive,\u00a0<\/span>costing taxpayers triple<\/span><\/a>\u00a0the price they would pay to permanently house these same vulnerable individuals.<\/span><\/p>\n

The answer, tragically, is corruption. It’s corporate greed packaged in catchy internet slogans that feign compassion but, in reality, promote something akin to modern-day slavery. The dirty truth about homeless encampment cleanups<\/a> is that they are a clever way to fill for-profit prisons with poverty-stricken, non-violent offenders.<\/span><\/p>\n

The fact that they are growing in popularity is neither happenstance nor coincidence. It is an orchestrated plan devised in part by the conservative think tank\u00a0<\/span>The Cicero Institute<\/span><\/a>. Unsurprisingly, it is a firm headed by a billionaire heavily invested in the prison industrial complex.<\/span><\/p>\n

The underworld of\u00a0<\/span>Cicero Institute<\/span><\/a>\u00a0lobbyists who push for sanctioned temporary encampments is publicly accessible but veiled in deception. Their website is littered with buzzwords that sound well-intended. But make no mistakes about it \u2013 their goal is not to house but to imprison.<\/span><\/p>\n

Scarier still, more and more politicians are supporting them in the corrupt endeavor to line the pockets of the rich at the expense of America’s poorest citizens.<\/span><\/p>\n

Homeless Criminalization is More Frequently Being Used Over Housing First Solutions<\/span><\/h3>\n

If you’ve noticed a shift in homeless sector politics, it’s not your imagination. The Housing First Model, which is statistically proven to be the most effective and least expensive approach to homelessness, has taken a back seat to alternative campaigns. Many of these campaigns are wrought with\u00a0<\/span>homeless criminalization<\/span><\/a>\u00a0– policies that punitively punish people enduring homelessness for the perceived “crime” of\u00a0<\/span>existing in public spaces<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

To shed some insight into how drastic the data is, according to\u00a0<\/span>the National Low Income Housing Coalition<\/span><\/a>, urban camping ordinances have increased by 92% since 2006. Meanwhile, bans on vehicular residency are up a whopping 213%.<\/span><\/p>\n

Both of these are examples of anti-homeless legislation, sets of laws that make it illegal for homeless people to engage in life-sustaining activities such as:<\/span><\/p>\n