A felony for homeless camping in public? 1 state is making arrests : NPR

Supporters of these laws say they enable public officials to enforce rules that already exist and provide incentive for unhoused people to seek shelter. But opponents call the laws cruel and say that an arrest record only makes it harder for those experiencing homelessness to secure a job or a home...

 https://www.npr.org/2026/07/21/nx-s1-5887358/tennessee-homeless-arrest-felony-camping-ban

 

A Texas think tank is pushing states to ban homeless camping : NPR

"Getting people into that stable, accessible, affordable home first, allows them to address any other issues, whether it's mental illness or addiction or other challenges," Yentel says. 

Opponents of Cicero's approach also cite the expense. 

The fiscal cost of a law will often be listed as zero, "but nothing could be further from the truth," says Eric Tars, senior policy director at the National Homelessness Law Center. "Studies have shown it actually costs two to three times more to keep people churning through the jail system, through law enforcement, the courts, all of that, than it does to simply provide housing," he says...

https://www.npr.org/2024/05/20/1251405278/homeless-camping-ban-texas-cicero-states