The Economic Consequences of Homelessness in The US

difficulties in obtaining psychiatric care, substance use, criminal histories, lack of child
care, and limited education. Lacking a stable address, phone, work attire, and
transportation further compounds barriers to stable employment. While day labor
positions may provide limited income for homeless individuals, particularly those with
lower educational attainment and criminal and alcohol use histories, they are not a
reliable form of income due to exploitation and inequality in the day labor market.
Increasing access to permanent, supportive employment options among individuals
experiencing homelessness is critical for income stability.
Finally, criminalization measures in effect across the United States that target activities
associated with homelessness are not only ineffective in reducing homelessness and
costly to enforce but serve as a barrier to income and housing stability. In 2016, the
National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty conducted a survey of the
municipal codes in 187 cities and found that despite a shortage of housing and shelter
options, many cities are choosing to criminally punish individuals for carrying out lifesustaining
tasks such as sleeping in public, loitering, sitting or lying down in public,
sleeping in vehicles, sharing food, and panhandling. The survey results showed that
53% of cities prohibit sitting or lying down in public places, 43% prohibit sleeping in
vehicles, 76% prohibit begging in particular public places, and 9% prohibit sharing food
with people experiencing homelessness. These criminalization measures do nothing to
address the underlying causes of homelessness, as most police interventions are
temporary and result in a fine that homeless individuals are often not able to pay,
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