Michigan recently announced a new potential proposal for a bill dedicated to providing protection to the unhoused.
Known as the Homeless Bill of Rights, the new piece of legislation will be proposed by State Rep. Emily Dievendorf in the fall. The potential bill will look to make public spaces safer for the unhoused and protect their rights by giving them the ability to file a civil lawsuit if they were discriminated against.
It will also advocate for voting rights for those without a home by pushing back against the mandated permanent address required to fill out a ballot. Schools and medical spaces are also addressed with the new piece of legislation; the Homeless Bill of Rights will prevent discrimination in school enrollment and medical care provided to the unhoused.
As part of a three-bill package, the Homeless Bill of Rights will be paired with other bills focused on housing discrimination and increased rights for tenants.
The new Homeless Bill of Rights from Michigan comes amidst other states passing similar laws. In June, New York City put into law their own Homeless Bill of Rights after the City Council unanimously approved it. The new bill officially legalized the right to sleep outdoors, apply for rental aid and make comments about the conditions in shelters without consequences.
The passage and proposal of new bills such as these reflect the growing rates of unhoused people in the U.S. According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness 2023 State of Homelessness report, the rates of unhoused people have increased by six percent since 2017.
In their latest information, the nonprofit reported that there were nearly 421,400 unhoused Americans; roughly about 127,800 unhoused Americans were found to be chronically unhoused as they were without a home for a year or more.
With her latest proposal, Rep. Dievendorf hopes that all the unhoused Americans will be treated with the understanding and care they deserve.
“My response to folks who are concerned about seeing houseless encampments is that the only way to ensure that houseless folks aren’t out and about in the community having to set up camp in our parks is to ensure we’re supplying the housing that houseless folks need and getting to the root of what leads to houselessness,” said Dievendorf per CBS News.
“So in the meantime, while we are building more affordable housing, while we are renovating our aging housing stock, while we are fixing the loopholes in our law that allow for housing discrimination and get in the way of access to housing, we can’t treat our neighbors with lack of compassion because they truly do not have other places to go.”
