Pass the Homeless Bill of Rights
Members of Cleveland City Council
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Discrimination and harassment in housing, employment, and shelter based on housing status is an experience shared by almost all people who have been homeless in Cleveland. This is something that cannot be tolerated. It is not only a violation of our unhoused resident's dignity but also, in effect, serves to keep people homeless.
Homeless Congress - an organizing group made up entirely of people with lived experience of homelessness - has drafted the Homeless Bill of Rights to defend the civil rights of unhoused people.
To prevent chronic homelessness and protect unhoused people in our city, we are asking Cleveland City Council to introduce and pass the Homeless Bill of Rights as soon as possible.
Petition by
Sponsored by
To:
Members of Cleveland City Council
From:
[Your Name]
Dear members of Cleveland City Council,
People experiencing homelessness in our city are often treated as second-class citizens, frequently facing harassment and discrimination despite their vulnerable housing status. Such treatment not only fails to acknowledge basic human dignity, but, in practice, actively denies unhoused people basic civil rights that are otherwise available to those with stable housing, such as the ability to freely use public spaces. To defend our city's unhoused residents, we ask Cleveland City Council to introduce and pass the Homeless Bill of Rights.
The Homeless Bill of Rights is a piece of legislation that was drafted and approved by current and former members of Homeless Congress, an organizing and advocacy group of people with lived experience of homelessness. These members know firsthand the struggles that unhoused people face living in shelters and on the streets, and, as such, are positioned well to understand what is needed to protect the rights of homeless people and to address and remedy the causes of homelessness.
This proposed legislation – based on bills passed in state like Illinois and Connecticut - safeguards the rights of unhoused people in their everyday experiences with housing, shelter, and employment, chiefly by adding “homeless status” to the list of protected classes. It will further enshrine the rights of homeless people to freely use public spaces, as well as recognize their right to a reasonable expectation of privacy regarding personal belongings.
More than simply enumerating certain rights, however, the ultimate aim is - in fact - to prevent chronic homelessness by ending discrimination and criminalization, which harms people living unhoused and exacerbates their housing instability. Instead, the Homeless Bill of Rights will ensure unhoused people the safety and security they need to begin effectively moving toward permanent housing - a right further protected in this bill.
The Homeless Bill of Rights is a necessary and effective piece of legislation that will directly benefit the lives of our city’s unhoused residents and help them immensely in their search for a stable home. This is why we implore Cleveland City Council to introduce and pass the Homeless Bill of Rights as soon as possible.