Have you ever walked through a city and noticed the tents tucked under bridges or the sleeping bags in doorways? It’s hard to ignore the growing number of people living on the streets, a stark reminder of a crisis that’s only getting worse. In 2024, over 771,000 people in the U.S. were unhoused on any given night—a record high that demands attention. But instead of solutions, many cities are turning to arrests and bans, a response that’s sparking heated debate. Is criminalizing homelessness the answer, or are we just kicking the can down the road?
The Shift Toward Punishment
A pivotal moment came in June 2024 when a major court ruling changed the game for how cities handle homelessness. The decision declared that laws banning sleeping or camping in public spaces don’t violate constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment. This gave cities a green light to enforce anti-camping ordinances, even when no shelter beds are available. The result? A wave of new restrictions—over 220 across the U.S.—and a sharp rise in arrests.
From Phoenix to Reno, local governments wasted no time. Some leaders, like those in California, issued sweeping orders to clear encampments. Others, however, pushed back, arguing that criminalizing poverty is a step backward. The divide is clear: one side sees enforcement as a way to restore order, while others believe it only deepens the suffering of the unhoused.
San Francisco: A Case Study in Enforcement
San Francisco offers a front-row seat to this shift. In the year following the court ruling, arrests of homeless individuals for living in public spaces skyrocketed from just over 100 to more than 1,000. A 2025 survey painted a grim picture: one in ten homeless residents reported being jailed for unauthorized lodging, and over half had been forcibly displaced from at least one public space.
“It’s not about solving the problem; it’s about making it invisible.”
– Anonymous advocate for the unhoused
These numbers don’t just represent statistics—they’re stories of real people. Imagine losing your few possessions, like IDs or medications, during a sweep. For many, these crackdowns don’t just disrupt life; they destroy any chance of stability. I’ve always found it striking how quickly we turn to punishment when compassion might yield better results.
Portland’s Lighter Touch—But Still a Struggle
Not every city has taken the same hardline approach. Portland, Oregon, for instance, implemented a daytime camping ban in 2024 but recorded only 11 arrests over the year. Still, the impact on the unhoused is undeniable. Many reported being cited or displaced, and one resident’s story hit me hard: a single police stop for camping revealed an old warrant, landing them in jail for days and costing them an apartment they were about to move into.
It’s a vicious cycle. Outstanding warrants for minor infractions—like sitting on a sidewalk—can derail someone’s chance to get back on their feet. As one study put it, these encounters often “trap people in a revolving door of poverty and punishment.”
Why Punishment Doesn’t Work
Decades of research tell us that punitive measures like arrests and sweeps don’t solve homelessness. Instead, they:
- Destroy critical belongings, like IDs and medications, making recovery harder.
- Worsen mental and physical health by adding stress and instability.
- Push people from one location to another, creating a game of human whack-a-mole.
Perhaps the most frustrating part? These efforts drain resources that could be spent on actual solutions. Every dollar spent on policing could go toward building affordable housing or expanding mental health services. It’s like treating a broken leg with a Band-Aid—temporary and ineffective.
The Housing First Approach
If arrests don’t work, what does? The answer lies in a model called Housing First. This approach prioritizes getting people into stable housing before addressing other issues like mental health or addiction. It’s not a new idea—decades of evidence show it’s the most effective way to reduce homelessness.
“Housing is the foundation. Without it, everything else crumbles.”
– Social policy researcher
Here’s why Housing First makes sense:
- Stability breeds success: Once housed, people are better equipped to tackle jobs, health, or addiction.
- Cost-effective: It’s cheaper to provide housing than to fund endless sweeps and arrests.
- Human dignity: Housing restores a sense of safety and self-worth, breaking the cycle of despair.
Yet, despite its proven track record, Housing First has faced resistance. A 2025 executive order at the federal level even pulled support for this model, favoring involuntary commitments for those with mental health issues. To me, this feels like a step back from compassion toward control.
The Human Cost of Enforcement
Beyond the numbers, the human toll of these policies is staggering. Picture this: you’re already struggling, sleeping on the street, and then a police officer confiscates your tent or arrests you for resting in a park. Your few possessions are gone, and now you’re facing fines or jail time. How do you recover from that?
One advocate described it as “punishing people for existing.” I can’t help but agree. When we criminalize survival, we’re not solving a problem—we’re creating new ones. The unhoused aren’t just statistics; they’re people with dreams, fears, and stories, caught in a system that often seems stacked against them.
What Can Be Done?
So, where do we go from here? The homelessness crisis won’t vanish overnight, but there are steps we can take to move in the right direction. Here’s a roadmap based on what’s worked elsewhere:
| Solution | Impact | Example |
| Expand Affordable Housing | Provides long-term stability | Finland’s Housing First success |
| Increase Shelter Capacity | Reduces need for public camping | Seattle’s tiny home villages |
| Fund Mental Health Services | Addresses root causes | Canada’s outreach programs |
These solutions aren’t cheap, but they’re an investment in people and communities. Compared to the endless cycle of arrests and sweeps, they’re also a bargain. What’s more, they restore hope—something that no jail cell can provide.
A Call for Compassion
I’ve always believed that how we treat the most vulnerable among us says a lot about who we are as a society. Right now, the rise in homeless arrests feels like a failure of empathy. We’re choosing quick fixes over lasting change, punishment over progress. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
Communities that prioritize housing, support, and dignity over enforcement see real results. They prove that homelessness isn’t an unsolvable problem—it’s a challenge we can meet with creativity and care. The question is, will we rise to it?
As I reflect on this issue, I can’t help but wonder: what would it look like if we treated every unhoused person as a neighbor, not a problem? Maybe that’s the mindset shift we need to finally turn the tide.
