A Dream Denied:
The Criminalization of Homelessness in U.S. Cities

A Report by
The National Coalition for the Homeless
and
The National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty

A new NCH ad is available on criminalization. Please feel free to download and use in your newspaper. If you have any questions, please contact mstoops@nationalhomeless.org.

January 2006

Table of Contents:

• Download full report as a pdf

• Acknowledgements
• Executive Summary         
• I. Trends in the Criminalization of Homelessness
• II. Criminalization Measures Violate Constitutional Rights          
• III. Criminalization Measures Violate Human Rights Norms
• IV. Constructive Alternatives to Criminalization
• V. Top 20 Meanest Cities
• VI. Meanest Cities’ Narratives
• VII. Other Cities’ Narratives
• VIII. Case Summaries

  A. Challenges to Restrictions on Sleeping, Camping, Sitting or Storing Property in Public Place [FEDERAL] [STATE]
  B. Challenges to Anti-Begging, Anti-Soliciting and Anti-Peddling Laws
  C. Challenges to Vagrancy, Loitering and Curfew Laws
  D. Challenges to Restrictions on Feedings
  E. Miscellaneous

• IX. Prohibited Conduct Chart
• X. Appendix

A. Survey Questions
B.  Sample Know Your Rights Card
C.  Sources for City Narratives