A new law in Missouri has sparked national controversy, drawing attention from housing advocates, formerly homeless individuals, and nonprofit leaders. Passed in June 2023, the law makes it a misdemeanor to sleep or camp on state-owned land after receiving a warning.
Critics argue that this law criminalizes homelessness instead of addressing the underlying issues contributing to housing insecurity. As the law faces a legal challenge, it has raised concerns about the state’s approach to addressing homelessness.
A Law Under Fire
The Missouri law was passed by the Republican-led state legislature and aims to address homelessness by making it illegal to camp or sleep on state-owned land after one warning. The law also shifts funding away from long-term housing solutions, redirecting resources towards short-term shelters, mental health services, and substance abuse programs.
It further incentivizes cities that successfully reduce homelessness while cutting funding for those that don’t meet state benchmarks.
Despite the law being upheld by a Circuit Court judge, a group of plaintiffs, including Jonathan Byrd—a longtime advocate and formerly homeless individual—have filed an appeal with the Missouri Supreme Court. They argue that the law is poorly written, vague, and violates the Missouri state constitution’s requirement for clear legislative purpose.
Who Is Being Affected?
Approximately 6,000 Missourians face homelessness on any given night. Many of these individuals, including Jonathan Byrd, work full-time jobs or rely on temporary shelter from friends. Byrd, who now organizes for tenants in Springfield, Missouri, joined the lawsuit to give a voice to those directly impacted by the law.
Byrd emphasized the importance of allowing people who have experienced homelessness to participate in decisions that affect their lives. He said, “I’m trying to fight for people who are impacted, giving them a say in things that will affect them.”
Advocates such as Jonathan Belcher of St. Patrick’s Center in St. Louis argue that the law perpetuates harmful stereotypes about homeless people and punishes them for being poor or in crisis. Belcher stated, “Reducing homelessness doesn’t mean we need to criminalize it. We need more resources and housing, not more handcuffs.”
Enforcement of the Law Remains Unclear
Although the law has been in effect for several months, enforcement in cities like St. Louis remains unclear. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department told PBS NewsHour that there have been no recorded cases of the law being enforced.
Additionally, there is confusion about how cities and individuals will determine whether land is state-owned, leading to fear and uncertainty among the unhoused population.
Missouri’s Department of Economic Development has also declined to provide details on how it will track homelessness rates or monitor funding under the new policy, adding to the uncertainty surrounding the law’s implementation.
Personal Stories Behind the Law
The human impact of homelessness is felt deeply by individuals like Jessica Honeycutt, a plaintiff in the lawsuit who narrowly avoided homelessness during the pandemic. As a community health worker, Honeycutt sees the rising cost of housing as the root cause of the problem.
“Feeding the prison system seems more beneficial than helping people find homes,” she said, highlighting the disconnect between the state’s priorities and the real issue of affordable housing.
Another plaintiff, Marna Coleman, a St. Louis veteran, was homeless with her infant after returning from deployment. With the help of St. Patrick’s Center, she now owns a home and runs a nonprofit assisting unhoused veterans.
However, she remains deeply frustrated by the law, calling it “unacceptable” to criminalize people for simply sleeping outside. “We need to meet people where they are. That’s how we begin to fix the problem,” Coleman said.
A Broader National Trend
Missouri’s law is part of a larger trend across the United States, where at least 48 states have laws that restrict behaviors related to homelessness, according to the National Homelessness Law Center. States like Tennessee and Kansas have passed similar laws criminalizing sleeping on public land.
The National Alliance to End Homelessness attributes the rise in homelessness to the growing gap between wages and rent. The country faces a shortage of nearly 4 million housing units, according to Freddie Mac, which exacerbates the problem. Steve Berg, the policy chief at the Alliance, said, “In a country as wealthy as ours, people should be able to count on a stable place to live.”
The Future of Missouri’s Homelessness Law
As Missouri’s homelessness law heads to the state Supreme Court, it represents a broader debate about how to address the homelessness crisis.
The law, which focuses on enforcement rather than long-term solutions, has sparked calls from advocates, formerly homeless individuals, and nonprofit organizations to prioritize investment in affordable housing and supportive services.
The real question remains: Will lawmakers choose to tackle the root causes of homelessness, such as affordable housing, or continue to criminalize those affected? As the legal battle continues, the need for lasting change in addressing homelessness has never been clearer.
