Increasingly, cities across the nation are implementing punitive measures to sweep homeless people out of downtown areas.

Ø       Laws that make it illegal to do things that people experiencing homelessness must do as a result of their homeless status ultimately 'criminalize' homelessness, such as the prohibition of sleeping, sitting, or storing personal belongings in public spaces that some states have adopted.

o        Criminalization measures do not address the root causes of homelessness, making it more difficult for people to move out of homelessness, and are not cost effective.

Ø       Additionally, homeless people's right to vote has been hit by two types of laws: Anti-terror laws and concerns about voter fraud.

o        It is crucial that the homeless person's right to vote is protected, since this is one of the few ways that homeless individuals can impact the political process and make their voices heard.

Ø       NLCHP's Civil Rights Program protects the rights of homeless people. We fight practices and laws that unfairly single out homeless people and criminalize them for everyday living and life-sustaining activities.

o        In conjunction with local advocates, the Civil Rights Program has successfully opposed laws that criminalize homelessness in cities across the country.

o        The Civil Rights Program has conducted state and federal level legislative advocacy to promote legislation that will not hinder, but help homeless persons obtain identification cards.

Ø       We develop positive, alternate solutions to reverse this disturbing trend by engaging in advocacy to help homeless persons overcome identification barriers and by promoting homeless persons' voting rights. We work with police, city officials, homeless rights advocates, and many others to implement our constructive solutions