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#Right2Rest back and stronger than ever!

January 15, 2016 by Jonathan Leave a Comment

Senator Carol Liu Introduces Legislation Protecting the Civil Rights of Homeless Individuals

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Sacramento. California State Senator Carol Liu (D – La Cañada Flintridge) has introduced a new bill designed to end discrimination against people experiencing homelessness. SB 876 prohibits law enforcement from arresting or ticketing people for resting, eating, or practicing religion in public spaces.

According to Senator Liu, “this bill is intended to ensure equal rights for the homeless. It’s time to address poverty, mental health, and the plight of the homeless head-on as a social issue and not a criminal issue. Citing the homeless for simply resting in a public space creates a criminal record that can lead to rejection for jobs, education loans, and housing and further block their pathway out of poverty,” she added.

According to a 2015 report by the UC Berkeley School of Law Policy Advocacy Clinic, the number of anti-homeless laws passed by California municipalities has risen sharply in recent years. In total, the 58 cities researched in the study have enacted at least 500 anti-homeless laws – nearly nine laws per city on average.

Recently announced efforts to combat homelessness include California State Senate President Pro Tempore, Kevin de León’s bi-partisan “No Place Like Home” initiative, which would provide 2 billion dollars for cities to build permanent supportive housing for the homeless. Coupling housing with treatment for mental illness and other wrap-around support services provides a long-term, sustainable solution to homelessness. However, funding for housing and wrap-around services is just one piece of a multi-pronged strategy that must also include putting an end to criminalizing the homeless.

“We applaud sincere efforts to build more permanent supportive housing, but no plan or strategy to end homelessness is complete without ceasing the failed policies that ticket or jail people for sleeping, eating, or sitting in public when they have no other place to go,” says Paul Boden of the Western Regional Advocacy Project, which coordinates the coalition of 140 organizations across the state that are supporting SB 876. “Even if we get new money to build the housing we critically need, it will take time to develop those units and house people. Cities cannot continue to make illegal the basic life-sustaining activities of people who have no other choice but to live in public.”

The growing rate at which cities are criminalizing homelessness is not unique to California. Rather, it reflects a national trend in practices that are increasingly being challenged in federal courts. In December 2015, a federal judge suspended a Ft. Lauderdale law banning public food sharing after a 90-year old resident was arrested twice for serving meals to homeless individuals.

“SB 876 is consistent with the federal government’s condemnation of practices that criminalize homelessness and violate their civil rights,” said Maria Foscarinis, Executive Director at the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty. “Under this bill, we hope communities will apply their resources to develop housing and other services for the homeless. Such strategies are less expensive and more successful at ending homelessness than criminalization; a practice the U.S. Department of Justice has said is unconstitutional.
For more information go to: www.wraphome.org
contact us at: wrap@wraphome.org

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Filed Under: #right2rest, Blog, Homeless Bill of Rights, Homelessness, News, News, State Campaigns, State Government, WRAP in the News

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City Council Vote on Salvation Army Shelter Contra City Council Vote on Salvation Army Shelter Contract TODAY Monday 

The City Council is set to vote on renewing the Salvation Army’s contract to run Crossroads shelter today (Monday), and then set to discuss renewing their contract to run the Doubletree on Wednesday. 

Read More: https://wraphome.org/2025/06/16/denver-co-city-council-vote-on-salvation-army-shelter-contract-today-monday/
Since SCOTUS allowed cities to arrest and ticket p Since SCOTUS allowed cities to arrest and ticket people for experiencing homelessness a year ago, 250+ anti-homeless bills have been introduced across the US.
Join us June 17 w/ to discuss how we're fighting back. RSVP: https://buff.ly/1NFKz9F
For more information: wraphome.org or https://wrap For more information: wraphome.org
or
https://wraphome.org/2025/06/11/san-francisco-ca-for-immediate-release-mayor-luries-rv-plan-proposes-displacement-and-criminalization-amidst-burgeoning-housing-crisis/
"La Caballeria" San Francsico 16th & Mission Stree "La Caballeria" San Francsico 16th & Mission Street
The fight against the criminalization of houseless The fight against the criminalization of houselessness continues. Stand with us for justice. #HousingIsAHumanRight #StopTheSweeps
https://conta.cc/3FQ7Mud
repost @lacanetwork_official @adamofthesmiths When repost @lacanetwork_official @adamofthesmiths When they arrest our community, we don’t stay silent. We show up.

LAPD arrested LA CAN organizer Adam Smith inside City Hall while he was attempting to attend a public meeting — a clear attempt to intimidate and silence community voices.

Adam is facing a trespassing charge for simply showing up. Join us for court support and stick around after for some live music and to help film a music video.

When: June 4th, 2025 8:30 AM
Where: Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center, Dept 40, 210 W Temple St in Los Angeles
For more info, go to: tinyurl.com/Adam6425
L.A.’s mayor declared a homelessness emergency. L.A.’s mayor declared a homelessness emergency. Now, some at City Hall want to move past it https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-05-29/l-a-s-mayor-declared-a-homelessness-emergency-now-some-want-to-end-it
🔥 Hot off the presses! WRAP's got a new shirt 👕 with an inspiring message...We have nothing to lose but our ⛓️ chains! Available now https://givebutter.com/WRAPdonate
LACAN, Los Angeles Community Action Network https: LACAN, Los Angeles Community Action Network https://www.instagram.com/p/DJpwYq2S8Me/
The roots of Neoliberal Fascism in America today, The roots of Neoliberal Fascism in America today, and what we can do about it! We could write a whole article on the shit storm that has hit at the federal level and then reel off reactionary oppressive measures that local and state governments are imposing in response to the massive numbers of people they know damn well are going to be dying, suffering, hurting, living in the streets — and be mad as hell. https://conta.cc/4iWZe2j
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What is the cost of encampment ‘resolution’?

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Oakland’s Encampment Management Team raises a row of wooden buildings on East 12th Street, May 12, 2025. Photo by Bradley Penner. Oakland...
15 hours ago
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