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"Right to Rest" for homeless?

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Several states in recent years have considered legislation protecting the rights of homeless individuals to eat, rest, sleep, or otherwise shelter in public spaces.

Many states and localities have statutes that limit the use of public spaces such as plazas, parking lots, sidewalks and public parks for activities such as camping, sleeping, or eating. “Homeless Bill of Rights” or “Right to Rest” legislation limits the extent to which law enforcement officials can treat sheltering and other activities in such spaces as criminal acts.

Advocates of such laws note that many states and localities have passed statutes that limit the use of public spaces in a manner that unfairly targets homeless people. They hold that municipalities should not be allowed to pass laws that would interfere with a homeless person’s ability to survive.

Opponents counter that “Right to Rest” laws make it difficult to keep public spaces clean and sanitary and could have a negative impact on area property and business owners.

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