Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-FL) believes homeless people should have legal immunity and not be “forced to work in exchange for a bed.”
Maxwell made his statement during a press conference Wednesday when he introduced the No Homeless Detention Centers Act.
“Right now there’s a growing effort in this country to treat homelessness like a crime instead of what it is: a housing crisis. Homelessness is a housing issue. Since the Supreme Court’s disastrous grants passed decision, states and cities have been given even more room to criminalize people for sleeping outside, and we are seeing politicians and right-wing organizations push laws that ticket people, arrest people, sweep encampments, and force people into detention-like facilities,” he said.
Frost continued:
And it’s not just right-wing organizations, it’s democratic cities as well that are pursuing handcuffs instead of housing. That does not end homelessness. It just makes being homeless a crime. That’s why today I’m proud to introduce the No Homeless Detention Centers Act. This bill draws a line in the sand if you are receiving federal housing dollars, those dollars should be for helping people to get housed and not locking them away. You should not be forced to work in exchange for a bed.
You should not be punished for sleeping, resting, eating, drinking, or protecting yourself from the elements. And you should never have to choose between being arrested and sleeping outside. Because we know why people are ending up on the streets. The rent is too damn high, housing is too expensive, and wages have not kept up.
Attendees standing behind Frost during the press conference held signs that read “Housing Is a Human Right.”
Hellbound and Down 