A Dream Denied

The Criminalization of Homelessness in U.S. Cities

An unfortunate trend in cities around the country over the past 25 years has been to turn to the criminal justice system to respond to people living in public spaces. This trend includes measures that target homeless persons by making it illegal to perform life-sustaining activities in public. These measures prohibit activities such as sleeping/camping, eating, sitting, and begging in public spaces, usually including criminal penalties for violation of these laws.

This report documents the top 20 Meanest Cities of 2005 and outlines initiatives that some cities are adopting as a more constructive approach to addressing the problem of homelessness.

The report includes the results of a survey of laws and practices in 224 cities nationwide and a survey of lawsuits from the jurisdictions in which criminalization measures have been challenged.

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