The City of Manteca, CA made it illegal for homeless people to sleep anywhere outside -just in time for winter!  They also made it it illegal for starving people to pick food out of the trash—reducing homeless people to the likes of animals, while requiring businesses to keep their trash in bear-proof containers.  

This is the wrong way to deal with poverty. And this is a completely unacceptable way to treat human beings.

Unfortunately this is not an isolated incident. Manteca, CA is just the latest in a long list of cities criminalizing homelessness.

Palo Alto, CA, one of the wealthiest cities in the US, criminalized “dwelling” in a car. Those charged with the offense could face up to a $1,000.00 fine and six months in jail.

Fort Lauderdale, FL made it illegal to help the homeless by making it a crime to feed hungry people. Yet they found $25,000 in their budget to purchase one-way tickets for homeless people to send them out of their town.

If we continue to “fight” homelessness by criminalizing it, we are punishing people for being poor rather than addressing and reducing poverty.

We need to end homeless hate laws and stop out-of-touch leaders who think that criminalizing homeless people is acceptable.

Sign the petition, stop the hate, end homeless hate laws now!