Criminalizing homelessness compounds precarity

The governor of Missouri (my home state) just signed a law that “makes it a felony to sleep on state-owned land, such as under highway overpasses and bridges.” This would seem to effectively criminalize homelessness in the state. What other options are there than to trespass or not sleep?

The end result of this legislation will likely have homeless people leaving the state, spiraling into ever worse circumstances, and/or ending up in prison. The legislators who put this bill forth surely knew this and were presumably quite pleased with themselves.

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Growing up in America, we were told it was the land of opportunity. That not everyone would be successful, but that everyone had a fair shot at success, and that with enough hard work and determination, you would succeed.

It was a fairytale.

America may have provided better chances than other places for some, but for many, it has always been a place where they struggled just to survive. Recent years have made that case increasingly the norm. A report published this spring found that nearly 2/3 of Americans were living paycheck-to-paycheck. 

It’s kind of hard to square that fact with our world-leading GDP.

When you’re living in such circumstances in the US, you’re always one bump away from dire outcomes. Things like an unexpected hospital visit can lead to ruin. In fact, medical care is often one of the first things to go for people who are just getting by. I’ve personally avoided going to the doctor in the US for many years, unless it’s absolutely necessary, and I’ve long negotiated with pharmacists to drop the palliative medicines to rein in the costs. Medicine can wait. The bills have to be paid.

When you are always *this close* to being homeless, you are vulnerable. Employers can take advantage of you via wage theft and they can offer take-it-or-leave-it non-living wages knowing that your options are likely limited, as are those of anyone else who applies.

We’re stuck in a system that’s increasingly hostile to workers. If you don’t like your job, you can quit, but now you’re not just threatened with homelessness, but also with being treated as a criminal by our ‘justice’ system.

For those living paycheck-to-paycheck, what would they endure to avoid becoming homeless? How much more would they accept if they knew that, along with all the burdens and shame they might endure, they’d also be at risk of being brought up on charges for sleeping? And what would a misdemeanor and fifteen days in prison do to someone who is already dealing with homelessness? How would it help their efforts to find better income? And how would they pay the $750 fine for sleeping while homeless?

While all this is deeply troubling, I do find hope in the ongoing wave of unionization. We’re a long way from he sort of worker power that’s needed, but the foundation is there. While the gap is still large, here’s hoping the recent trend continues and we claim our fair share in short order.