Homelessness and mobility issues affect all of us, not just those without a roof over their heads. Every day, we walk past individuals who are struggling to survive, each with a unique story and dreams similar to our own. They face daily indignities, struggling to fulfill basic needs, often denied access to services most of us take for granted. The lack of basic rights for homeless individuals is a glaring oversight in our society that requires immediate attention.

Despite growing awareness of homelessness as a widespread issue—an estimated 580,000 people experience homelessness on a single night in the United States, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness—there is still an absence of structured rights to protect these individuals. Too often, they are discriminated against or treated as criminals for activities necessary for survival. This is not only unfair but also deeply unjust.

Below is the text of Homeless Bill of Rights drafted by SHILO of New Jersey (www.shilonj.org). We are opening this to the Public to co-sign. We thank you for your time and attention to this matter.

It is crucial for us to assert and protect the basic human rights of homeless people, ensuring their right to access shelter, food, healthcare, and employment opportunities without discrimination, in consideration of basic international human rights principles. Cities like San Francisco and New York have made strides by introducing Homeless Bill of Rights legislation, aimed at safeguarding their civil rights, yet more needs to be done on a national scale.

Homeless Bill of Rights

Preamble
We, as a society committed to justice, equity, and human dignity, recognize that current responses to homelessness often center on control, stigma, and visibility rather than compassion, cultural competence, and the expressed needs of unhoused individuals themselves.

While holistic approaches to homelessness have been initiated, they are too often not led by those with cultural competence or lived experience. Policies and programs fail to prioritize human dignity and self-determination, instead focusing on managing appearances and preserving public discomfort, rather than meeting the real and urgent needs of individuals experiencing homelessness.

This Homeless Bill of Rights is a declaration of inherent, legal, and moral rights that belong to every person, regardless of housing status. These rights are based on the principles enshrined in the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution — including the rights to free expression, due process, and equal protection under the law — and are articulated here to ensure these protections are applied justly to those who live without permanent shelter.

 
The Rights of Homeless Individuals

1. Right to Life, Liberty, and Security of Person
   Every unhoused individual has the right to live free from arbitrary harm, arrest, harassment, or criminalization for existing in public spaces.
2. Right to Equal Protection Under the Law
   No law or policy shall discriminate against a person based on their housing status. All laws must be applied equally to housed and unhoused individuals.
3. Right to Free Expression and Assembly
   Homeless individuals have the right to express themselves and peacefully assemble in public spaces without fear of being displaced, ticketed, or criminalized.
4. Right to Due Process
   No person experiencing homelessness shall be denied due process under the law, including notice and a fair hearing before the removal of their belongings or forced relocation.
5. Right to Privacy
   Homeless individuals have the right to privacy in their personal spaces — including tents, shelters, encampments, and vehicles — to the extent afforded to housed individuals.
6. Right to Possessions and Property
   Every unhoused person has a legal right to their personal belongings. Government agencies and law enforcement cannot seize or destroy property without due process.
7. Right to Be Free from Cruel and Unusual Punishment
   The criminalization of basic human survival — such as sleeping, resting, or seeking shelter in public — is a form of cruel and unusual punishment and must be prohibited.
8. Right to Access Public Space
   Unhoused individuals have a right to access and remain in public spaces — sidewalks, parks, transit areas — on equal terms as housed individuals, so long as they are not violating the law.
9. Right to Shelter and Housing
   Every person has the right to safe, accessible, and permanent housing as a human right, not a privilege or condition of behavior.
10. Right to Permanency and Stability
    Homeless individuals have the right to remain in stable locations without being subject to constant displacement or disruption.
11. Right to Safety and Protection
    All persons have the right to safety from violence, exploitation, and harassment, whether from individuals, institutions, or law enforcement.
12. Right to Non-Discrimination
    No individual shall be denied services, employment, medical care, or participation in society based on their housing status.
13. Right to Family Unity
    Homeless individuals and families have the right to remain together without fear of separation due to shelter policies or child welfare interventions based solely on homelessness.
14. Right to Rest and Sleep
    Every person has the right to rest and sleep without being cited, arrested, or harassed for doing so in the absence of accessible, appropriate shelter.
15. Right to Basic Hygiene and Sanitation
    Unhoused individuals have the right to access restrooms, showers, clean water, and sanitation facilities as a matter of public health and dignity.
16. Right to Food and Nutrition
    All people have the right to access food, free from harassment or restriction, whether through aid programs, public sharing, or mutual aid.
17. Right to Health Care and Mental Health Services
    Every unhoused individual has the right to accessible, respectful, and trauma-informed medical and mental health care without discrimination.
18. Right to Identification and Civic Participation
    No one shall be denied access to identification, the right to vote, or other civil participation based on their housing status or lack of permanent address.
19. Right to Education
    Homeless children and youth have the right to free, quality public education without stigma, barriers, or forced school transfers.
20. Right to Employment and Economic Opportunity
    Individuals experiencing homelessness have the right to pursue employment, vocational training, and economic opportunity without discrimination or exclusion.
21. Right to Be Heard in Policy Decisions
    Those with lived experience of homelessness have the right to participate in the creation of laws, policies, and programs that affect their lives.
22. Right to Freedom from Surveillance and Policing
    Homeless communities shall not be subjected to constant surveillance, data collection, harassment or targeted policing that violates their dignity and privacy.
23. Right to Cultural and Spiritual Expression
    Individuals have the right to maintain their cultural, spiritual, and religious practices without interference or suppression.
24. Right to Community and Belonging
    Homeless individuals have the right to form communities for safety, support, and survival, and these communities must not be arbitrarily dissolved or criminalized.
25. Right to Hope and Self-Determination
    Every person, regardless of housing status, retains the right to imagine, plan, and pursue a better future — with access to tools, supports, and respect needed to do so.

This Homeless Bill of Rights affirms that human dignity is not conditional on housing status. Any society that seeks to call itself just must ensure that the rights of its most vulnerable members are not only protected but amplified.

The path forward demands cultural humility, lived-experience leadership, and a commitment to policy driven by need — not by stigma.

This petition establishes Basic Rights For All Homeless Individuals. We  also urge policymakers to work towards a comprehensive framework that enshrines these rights into law, ensuring that no one is left behind. One straightforward yet impactful action could be the introduction of a federal Homeless Bill of Rights that upholds the dignity and rights of every homeless person in the country.

By signing this petition, you're taking a stand for a fairer, more compassionate society where everyone has the opportunity to rebuild their lives with dignity.

Please sign and support of the Homeless Bill of Rights (HBR) and in support of this establishment of these basic rights outlined above for the homeless.