Stop the Criminalization of Homelessness!

Homelessness in the United States
To be considered homeless, a person must meet the federal definition of homelessness set forth in the McKinney Act of 1987.  According to federal law, a person is homeless if they:
1.  Lack a regular, fixed, and adequate nighttime residence (or)
2.  Live in a shelter or transitional housing residence for homeless persons (or)
3.  Live in a temporary residence for persons waiting for institutionalization (or)
4.  Are sleeping in a place not intended for human beings (or)
5.  Will be evicted within one week from their home (or)
6.  Will be discharged within one week from institutions where they have lived for more than 30 days in a row and they have not found a place to live and they have no money or other resources to find a place to live.

Persons in jail are NOT considered homeless while in jail.  Persons living in housing with relatives or friends are NOT considered homeless.

Some statistics regarding homelessness in America
    More than an estimated 750,000 homeless people are on the streets any night in the United States
        Only 250,000 shelter spaces are available
        This situation leaves over 500,000 people with no where else to be but in public (US Conference of
                Mayors, 2001)
    Atlanta has roughly 2,600 shelter beds in the Metropolitan area; estimates of the homeless population
                in the Atlanta area range between 11,000 and 20,000 (Research Atlanta, Inc., 1997)
    The Northeast Georgia Homeless Coalition estimates that 246 adults and 27 children are currently
            homeless in the Athens area alone
*These numbers do not reflect those described as "unsheltered homeless"
 
 
 
 

Please use the web site resources below to learn more about homelessness in the United States

What is the "Criminalization of Homelessness"?
The criminalization of homelessness in the United States can be defined as the creation of and execution of "laws [and practices] that discriminate against homeless people, including laws that specifically target them or activities they must engage in because they are homeless" (borrowed from www.nlchp.org)
 
 

Society is responding to the problem of homelessness, not through prevention, but through prosecution.  As a result, money that could be better spent on helping homeless individuals find affordable housing, go to school, get a job, or even eat, is being spent to incarcerate them.

Communities are creating ordinances that make it illegal for homeless people to engage in necessary activities such as:
    Sleeping in the park / urban camping
    Sitting or lying on public benches for long periods of time; some cities actually have ANTI-SITTING
     LAWS!

So What Can I Do?!?
1.  Learn all you can about homelessness and the criminalization of homelessness.  Click here to join the mailing list for the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty.

2.  Learn about the laws regarding homelessness in your area.  In the Athens, Georgia area, go to the Athens-Clarke County government web site and visit the ACC Ordinances page.

3.  In Northeast Georgia, contact the Northeast Georgia Homeless Coalition at (706) 546-6865 or negahomelesscoalition@hotmail.com.  To find out how to contact the homeless coalition in your area, click here and enter your state.

4.  Join the National Homeless Civil Rights Organizing Project.  The NHCROP monitors the criminalization of homelessness across the country and takes steps to stop this disturbing trend.  To find out about how to contact your regional field site, call Michael Stoops at (202) 727-6444 x19 oe e-mail him at mstoops@nationalhomeless.org.

5.  Take a stand!  If you witness an act of mistreatment of a homeless individual, click here and file an incident report.

6.  Write or call your state and national representatives, mayor, governor, and president and tell them about the importance of supporting programs that support the homeless population.  Below are links that can assist you in finding out who your local and national politicians are and how to contact them.
 

If you live in the Athens, GA area, use the information below to contact your political leaders.

Federal Senator Max Cleland http://cleland.senate.gov/ 461 Senate Dirksen Building Washington, DC 20510 Phone (202) 224-3521 Fax (202) 224-0072	Federal Representative John Linder http://linder.house.gov 1727 Longworth Building  Washington, DC 20515 Phone (202) 225-4272 Fax (202) 225-4696	The Honorable Roy E. Barnes, Governor State Capitol Building  Constituent Services Room 111 Atlanta, GA 30334 Phone (404) 656-1776 Fax (404) 657-7332
Federal Senator Zell Miller http://miller.senate.gov/ 257 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Phone (202) 224-3643 Fax (202) 228-2090 TDDY (202) 228-2105	To find your Federal Representative, click here To find your Federal Senator, click here You may also call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121; for TTY (202) 225-1904	The Honorable Mark Taylor, Lt. Governor 240 State Capitol Atlanta, GA 30334 Phone (404) 656-5030
Mayor Doc Eldridge mayor@athensclarkecounty.com PO Box 1868 Athens, GA 30603-1868 Phone (706) 613-3010 (work)           (706) 548-6141 (home)	To find Athens City Commissioners' contact information, click here	To find a State House Representative's contact information, click here To find a State Senate Representative's contact information, click here

Created by Mary Glenn, Avril Phillips-Minnis, Jennifer Robinson, and Angela Sanders.  Created April 2002.  University of Georgia.  Thank you for visiting our site!