Criminalization of Homelessness

 Introduction:

This resource invites you to challenge your biases and internal reactions to homeless individuals in your community. With this interview with Homeless Rights Advocacy Project (HRAP) representative, Ashley Karlstad, and community resources, we hope that you come away with a better understanding of the history and current reality of how homeless people are treated by police and the criminal justice system. We hope to provide you with alternative tools you can draw upon and organizations that you can call if you or someone you know is worried about an unhoused person or people within your community.

Background Reading:

Expert:

Ashley Karlstad (she/her) is a third-year law student at Seattle University School of Law. Ashley is a past student of the Homeless Rights Advocacy Project, which was founded and is directed by Professor Sara Rankin. Ashley currently works as Professor Rankin's research assistant and teaching assistant for the Homeless Rights Advocacy Project. Ashley is personally and professionally passionate about housing justice and homelessness advocacy.

Interview With

Ashley Karlstad of Homeless Rights Advocacy Project:

Q1: Can you introduce yourself, your organization, and the work that y’all have done on the topic of criminalization of homelessness?

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Q2: What are certain policies that are specifically enacted to control homeless people's actions, visibility, and behaviors? Relating to this, how does excess policing further isolate and endanger people experiencing homelessness

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Q3: Besides being cruel, why does the policing / criminalization of unhoused people not work? How can a criminal record further prevent individuals from escaping their current circumstances?

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Q4: How is the criminalization of homelessness an intersectional issue? What are ways that identity affects how unhoused people are received by their community members?

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Q5: What are some non-911 hotlines/organizations for community members to call when they are perceiving a scene that may call for de-escalation and/or intervention?

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Q6: Are there any local laws / movements /policies we should be looking out for related to this issue? Want to bump any local orgs who are doin work around this issue?

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Q7: Do you think Homelessness is an Insurmountable Problem? + Closing Thoughts

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