Public Homelessness

Homelessness is more than a word; it's a lifestyle. Living without a fixed residence entails a life marked by survival, not sustenance. And while it is difficult enough to try and live without an established place to call home, life is made even tougher when bans are put into effect that limit where a person can live outside. Some states have banned the homeless from camping in public, making it illegal.

Many homeless people have jobs and nearly 40 percent have some type of paid employment, often day-labor. If people are incarcerated under these types of ordinances, they will miss work, which leaves them at greater risk for losing their job and creating staffing losses for their employers. Without a steady source of income, moving out of homelessness becomes much more difficult, if not impossible.

there are also collateral consequences of having an arrest or minor offense on one’s record, as it can result in difficulty in obtaining future employment. Citations given for minor offenses often have a fine attached. When these fines go unpaid, they can result in jail time. In a recent survey of mostly larger employers, over 90 percent performed a criminal background check on some or all job applicants.

When cities target homeless people through criminalization measures or sweeps, they frequently move them from locations where homeless service providers can regularly reach them – thereby wasting precious resources and making it that much more difficult for homeless people to move out of homelessness

Often, those arrested might be engaged in a program, receiving or eligible for public benefits, or receiving services from a local provider. When those homeless individuals are incarcerated, they will be unable to access longstanding medical appointments and other services, public benefits, or maintain contact with the service provider.

This also outs an incredible strain on law enforcement officers because they are not sufficiently trained to deal with the issues of homelessness, mental illness, and substance abuse. While six percent of the general population suffers from a serious mental illness, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has reported that approximately 39 percent of people who are homeless have a mental disorder. In addition, an estimated 50 percent of adults with serious mental disorders who are homeless experience a substance abuse disorder as well.

Using the criminal justice system to address homelessness can be a very costly approach. The costs associated with criminalizing homelessness include law enforcement costs, court costs, and jail costs. These costs vary from county to county, but are generally higher than the cost of providing shelter or permanent housing. People are often jailed even when the underlying offense for which they are cited does not carry a jail penalty, because failing to pay the fine can result in jail time. Since the original offense was not punishable by jail, they are often not entitled to legal representation by the Public Defender’s office.

As summer begins to emerge in the Flathead Valley, keep in mind the idea that many chronically homeless people will also emerge.