Is Homelessness a Crime?

 

Illustration by Hisashi Okawa

Did you know that it is punishable to sleep outside, even if no housing or shelter is available? Sounds unfair, right?

In 2024, the Supreme Court ruled in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson that punishing someone for sleeping in public spaces, even if they have nowhere else to stay, does not violate the Eighth Amendment. In other words, they believed that it is not a “cruel and unusual” punishment. This allows other cities nationwide to pass laws that make unsheltered homelessness a legally punishable offense.

Lawmakers all over the country are attempting to sweep the crisis (and the people) under the rug without addressing the real, bigger issues that can effectively end homelessness. As of last month, Housing Not Handcuffs reported that 22 states are considering introducing new anti-homeless laws. That is nearly half the country considering criminalizing homelessness. While they are pushing to punish people experiencing homelessness, they are also slashing investments for housing, treatments, and other supports that would otherwise aid those in need.

Why does this matter? Criminalizing homelessness does nothing to solve the crisis at hand. Instead, these flawed laws effectively trap people already experiencing homelessness into a deeper pit. Arrests and tickets create criminal records, preventing people from getting jobs, qualifying for housing, and receiving other benefits that would have actually helped in ending homelessness. Research conducted by the National Alliance to End Homelessness shows there is no evidence that it reduces homelessness. All it does is forcefully remove people from one public space to the next, creating an endless, needless cycle.

The majority of people experiencing homelessness are not unsheltered by choice. Many factors can come into play, such as a lack of affordable housing, mental and physical health care, or adequate shelter. There are many barriers, both visible and invisible ones, that make it increasingly difficult to escape unsheltered homelessness. Lawmakers should focus on passing bills that increase affordable housing and other forms of support and aid, rather than pushing for punitive measures.

It’s unnecessary and dehumanizing to criminalize homelessness. Stop passing anti-homeless laws and start providing support for those experiencing homelessness.

It should never be a crime to seek shelter.

Click on these links to learn more about decriminalizing homelessness:

Tracking the Criminalization of Homelessness

What Communities Need to Know About the Decriminalization of Homelessness

The Hidden Struggle of Staying Clean While Homeless

                                         

For most people, taking a shower, washing clothes, or brushing their teeth is part of a normal daily routine. These are things many people do without even thinking about them. However, for people experiencing homelessness, staying clean can become one of the hardest parts of daily life. Something as simple as finding a bathroom, clean water, or a safe place to shower is not always easy. Many homeless individuals do not have regular access to hygiene products such as soap, toothpaste, shampoo, deodorant, or clean clothes. This affects not only physical health, but also mental health, confidence, and how people are treated by others in public spaces.

A study about hygiene practices among homeless individuals in Boston found that many people experiencing homelessness struggle with access to showers, laundry, and sanitation facilities. The study explained that limited hygiene access can increase the risk of infections, skin conditions, dental problems, and other illnesses. Some individuals reported washing clothes in public sinks or depending on shelters, friends, or public programs just to shower or do laundry. These situations show how difficult basic hygiene can become without stable housing and reliable resources. 

Lack of hygiene can also affect opportunities in everyday life. Imagine trying to attend a job interview, school, or a medical appointment without being able to shower or wash your clothes for several days. Many homeless individuals already face unfair judgment from society, and hygiene struggles can increase embarrassment, stress, and stigma even more. Some businesses also restrict bathroom access to paying customers, making it harder for homeless individuals to meet even their most basic needs.

The study also explained that hygiene is connected to dignity and emotional well being, not just cleanliness. Even small things like clean clothes, access to soap, or warm shower can help someone feel more confident, respected, and comfortable around others. These simple resources can make a major difference in a person's daily life.

Hygiene is a basic human need not a luxury. Supporting shelters, donating hygiene kits, and improving access to public bathrooms, showers, and laundry services can make a real difference. Even small actions like free shower programs or public restrooms can help people stay healthy and maintain dignity. If we want to truly support homeless communities, we need to understand that staying clean is often much harder than most people realize and that small resources can have a big impact on a person's confidence, health, and opportunities. 

To learn more about homelessness and hygiene access here is the article: 

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5580630/

                                        

The Small Things We Don’t See: Water, Dignity, and Portland’s Streets

 

Walk through Portland early in the morning and you’ll notice something most people miss. Not just tents or tarps, but the quiet routines happening around them. Someone pouring bottled water over their hands. Someone using a rag to wipe down a surface that will be dirty again in an hour. Someone trying to take care of their body with almost nothing.

We talk about houselessness here in big terms, housing shortages, funding, policy failure. All of that matters. But there’s a more immediate layer that shapes daily life, and it’s access to basic sanitation.

In Multnomah County, thousands of people are living unsheltered on any given night. For many of them, there is no reliable place to wash their hands, clean a wound, or use a restroom that feels even remotely safe. Public bathrooms exist, but they close. Hygiene stations get installed, but they break or aren’t maintained. What looks like a solution on paper often doesn’t hold up in practice.

This has real consequences. When you can’t clean a cut properly, small injuries turn into infections. When you don’t have consistent access to a restroom, you’re forced into situations that are unsafe, or criminalized. Public health becomes harder to manage, not just for houseless individuals, but for the city as a whole. This isn’t separate from the rest of Portland. It’s deeply connected to it.

There’s also something less measurable but just as important. The loss of dignity. Hygiene is tied to how we move through the world, how we’re perceived, and how we perceive ourselves. When that’s stripped away, it reinforces a cycle of invisibility. It becomes harder to access services, harder to be taken seriously, and harder to enter stable housing.

Portland has tried to respond. Programs like portable toilets, handwashing stations, and nonprofit outreach have made a difference. Street Roots and similar organizations continue to push for better access and accountability. But the scale is still off. A handful of stations cannot meet the needs of thousands of people spread across the city. And when these services are treated as temporary or optional, they’re often the first to disappear.

What’s frustrating is that this is one of the more solvable parts of the crisis. Expanding public hygiene access doesn’t require waiting years for new housing developments. It requires funding, maintenance, and a shift in how we think about public space. Cities like San Francisco and Seattle have invested in staffed, 24-hour hygiene centers. Portland could do more of the same, and do it better.

There’s also a design issue we tend to ignore. Many public restrooms are built to deter use rather than support it. Harsh lighting, uncomfortable layouts, limited privacy. What if we approached these spaces differently? Clean, well-maintained, and designed with the same care we give to places meant for paying customers. That shift wouldn’t just improve usability, it would signal that people using them are worth designing for.

It’s easy to dismiss this as a small piece of a much larger problem. But small doesn’t mean insignificant. These are the conditions people live in every single day. If those conditions don’t change, the larger solutions we talk about will continue to fall short.

You should care because this isn’t just about people living outside. It’s about the kind of city Portland is becoming. Basic sanitation is not a luxury. It’s a baseline for public health, safety, and dignity. Ignoring it doesn’t make the problem go away, it just makes it harder to fix.

If you want to see how this is already being addressed, and where the gaps still are, take a few minutes to look through the work being done locally.

Click here to learn more or support efforts in Portland: https://www.streetroots.org

Charging for Change

 

Society has put us in a situation where we rely too much on cell phones. We take for granted how we can stay connected with anyone at any time. No imagine you had nowhere to charge your phone. You might think, "Hey I can just charge this at home." But what if you didn't have a home to go back to. This is the reality for most of the un-homed population. Not having a phone can prevent people from not being able to contact their family or case workers, apply for jobs, or even be able to find shelters or just use a map. 

    When I was younger, I showed up for a job interview wearing jeans. The people who were interviewing kicked me right out the door without asking me a single question. In hindsight I dodged a bullet with that job but there are jobs out there that judge people off their appearance. Imagen finding a clean interview outfit but your phone dies right when they call you to set up a date for the interview, and you have no idea when you will be able to charge your phone again. This does make it a little bit difficult for people to get their life back together. 

    What I suggest we can do to fix this issue is to leave charging ports at transit stops. I know there's a few charging ports on the MAX but putting some on the bus would also be a good idea. I also suggest that they pass out solar panel chargers at shelters or missions to allow their phones to charge on sunny days. In the long run we all know how it feels to be carrying around a dead phone. We need to do something to make that aspect of life a little bit easier for everyone. At the end of the day a phone is more than just a tool to distract you from the world, It’s a lifeline. It’s the thing that connects people with family and job opportunities. This small rectangle is what is keeping most of us employed.

https://twitter.com/ecopolproject

https://www.tiktok.com/@ecolife.project?lang=en

https://www.freegeek.org/

 

                                               

Why Pets are Both a Lifeline and a Barrier

 

The relationship between a person and their pet is one of the strongest bonds that exists after everything else in their life falls apart. Within many of the camps located all around Portland and along the streets, having a dog or cat is quite common, but they are typically considered a nuisance by society and social services. For much of the homeless population in Portland, a pet is more than just a convenience; it is their source of security, comfort, and affection. Despite its importance for their mental well-being, owning a pet can serve as an obstacle standing in the way of assistance, leaving them with no other option than to choose between a comfortable night of sleep and their only form of family.

The common rhetoric tends to suggest that if a pet is keeping someone from a shelter, they should relinquish them in order to stabilize themselves. However, this perspective completely overlooks the psychological aspect of human connection. In a situation where one loses everything, such as their home, employment, and social standing, the role of a pet in providing meaning and humanity becomes crucial. A new study conducted at the University of Southern California in 2026 looked into years of housing outcomes and discovered that unhoused people who owned pets managed to secure permanent housing twice as often as people without pets. The fact that there is someone else to take care of gives them the drive to stabilize and enables them to utilize low-barrier permanent housing options more effectively.

Despite all these positive outcomes, the logistical hurdles involved in Portland prove to be quite challenging. While many shelters around Portland allow for pets, they often have certain requirements they must meet to be allowed in. They often need proof of vaccination, which is challenging due to the lack of documentation they have for their pets. They also tend to require the pets to be “housebroken” – proper potty training and proper indoor behavior – which can prove very challenging for those who are constantly living outdoors, or in inconsistent housing. In addition, movement becomes quite limited since transportation to a doctor's appointment or an interview may only be available on the MAX or buses, where it may not be possible to take one's pet along. It is necessary to consider animals not as a problem but rather as a solution to homelessness.

For the future, the opportunity arises for Portland to be proactive and utilize the correlation between humans and their pets to improve their services. This may involve extending shelter services with pet kennel availability as well as reaching out to organizations such as Portland Animal Welfare (PAW) team that will offer necessary animal care services for those who lack funds. By offering pet-friendly services, the city ensures that while ensuring stability for the individual, they do not have to give up their beloved pets. Our city boasts in the care we take for one another and our pets. It is now time that we showed care for those who needed it the most. We must recognize that keeping a pet healthy and safe could often be the first step at keeping a person whole and motivated to keep fighting. 

If you are interested in learning more about what the PAWs Team mission is or want to donate, check out their website HERE. 

Hostile Architecture

You see it more and more. A bench that’s strategically had another arm rest added right in the middle of the seat to prevent anyone from lying across. Spikes on flat surfaces that are just barely pretending to be aesthetic flourishes, and “coincidently” preventing anyone from sitting comfortably. Seats that are sloped ever so slightly, preventing more than a moment's rest. These design choices are part of a larger trend to prevent homeless citizens from accessing places of rest, some subtle, some less subtle. 

It might make sense on the surface. A public bench is for sitting, not sleeping, so why shouldn’t we prevent people from using it as a bed? But there’s a dark underside to that train of thought. The implication that is being suggested here is that there is a “right” way to use a public service, and a “wrong” way. That simply is not the case. A public bench is meant to provide rest, nothing more, nothing less, and no citizen has a greater claim to it than another. 

It’s all about appearances, really. When someone is denied a place to sleep due to hostile architecture, they do not suddenly no longer need somewhere to sleep. Instead they are simply being told that anywhere they choose to sleep should be out of the way, hidden. That’s not solving the problem of homelessness, that’s sweeping it under the rug and pretending it’s not there. And suppose every rest spot, every public seat is converted into these hostile forms of themselves. You’d be left with a city that says to anyone looking at it, “I chose to develop these ugly, tumorous growths because I wanted to ignore a problem rather than solve it.” A city should be beautiful, and it should have character, and it shouldn’t sacrifice these things to pretend that things are better than they are. You may find the sight of a homeless person sleeping on a bench unsightly. Is it more unsightly than an empty bench proudly proclaiming how discriminatory it is?
I don’t think so.

To see more of how this problem is developing in cities across the nation, take a look at this article: CLICK

Homelessness and the Cost of Disconnection

 

Think - when was the last time you used your phone? What did you use it for? Checking Instagram? Netflix?

Dinner plans? How about the essentials, like your bank account, or paying your bills? Medical appointments?

Job applications or communication with your employer? GPS? Emergency services? 

Chances are, you use your phone or computer for ALL of these things, and more. 

Are you surprised at how often you need your phone? If so, you may also be surprised that houseless individuals

need access to all of these essentials too, (not that Netflix and Instagram are essentials!) and they need technology

to do so: Phones, tablets, computers, whatever gets the job done. 

Research on the digital divide shows that the overwhelming majority of houseless people are using smartphones

on a regular basis, going through devices at twice the rate of the general population. Statistics on mental health,

physical health and aging, chronic illness incarceration, becoming a victim of violence or harassment, and more

show us that houseless individuals are more likely than the general population to experience all of these hardships

on a daily basis, in addition to lack of access to stable housing, utilities, technology, and community. The terms

‘houseless’ and ‘homeless’ do not even begin to scratch the surface of what life is actually like in our current society

without shelter. That being said, access to technology, including the internet and electricity, is crucial for our

survival. Not having a reliable source of internet or electricity means you have to plan your life around those

services - not around what’s best for your health. A dead phone or ‘dead-zone’ could cause you to miss essential

communications outlined above, including but not limited to financial accounts, medical communications,

employer communications and job inquiries, GPS services, emergency services, and more. 

Because these essential elements of our lives are wrapped up in the digital wild west, we need to incorporate

access to technology as an essential part of our infrastructure, like water or other utilities, instead of assuming

that everyone has the means to gain access to technology, or that someone can bypass the technology altogether.

Our infrastructure doesn’t care about those that can’t access the internet or aren’t tech-savvy. I propose that we

change public digital infrastructure, for built-in connections. This would enable houseless individuals to participate

in society more effectively and regularly, increasing their chances of obtaining shelter, steady employment, and

access to healthcare. Tech companies could also be incentivized to benefit from an increase in use of these services,

as we already know that the overwhelming majority of houseless individuals use smartphones, jumping through

whatever hoops and obstacles they need to in order to stay connected. 

If we increase public access to technology with infrastructure, our society will benefit as a whole from the increase

in societal connectivity and individual stability.

No Digital Divide? Technology Use among Homeless Adults  

What is Digital Public Infrastructure and why does it matter? 

Why digital public infrastructure is key to building a connected future