Alarm as US states pass ‘very concerning’ anti-homeless laws

Numerous anti-homeless laws are being passed across the US as funding for social services is widely reduced, raising welfare concerns among advocates for the unhoused.

In Missouri, a new state law that took effect on 1 January makes it a crime for any person to sleep on state property. For unhoused people, sleeping in public parks or under city highways could mean up to $750 in fines or 15 days in prison for multiple offenses.

Homelessness advocates have decried the law, claiming that it unfairly targets Missouri’s homeless populations. The...