RYAN KRULL
New homelessness law makes it a Class C misdemeanor to illegally camp on state-owned land.
Imagine you are looking for a safe place to lay your head and instead of support you are given a ticket for $750 or thrown in jail for 15 days. This will be the reality for some of your most vulnerable neighbors.
Earlier this month, it became illegal for homeless people to sleep near bridge underpasses and in state parks. Governor Parson signed House Bill 1606 into law in the summer, but it only went into effect this year. Under this new law it is a class c misdemeanor to camp without authorization on state land. Additionally, there is language in the bill that allows Missouri to sue the City of St. Louis if we choose to not enforce it.
The new law exposes the city and state’s woefully inadequate supports for our unhoused populations. And instead of being treated with compassion, now the unhoused are being criminalized.
In 2017 the city shut down New Life Evangelistic Center. NLEC was one of St. Louis’ largest shelters and outreach centers. The center was shut down despite the city not having a suitable replacement solution. Many of the programs for the unhoused since then have been either poorly executed or reactionary.
Year after year organizations and advocates do their best to meet the need. From 2014-2021 the St. Louis Medical Examiner has reported over 10 people have died due to the frigid temperatures. It was heartbreaking in 2018 when a 54-year-old St. Louisian was found frozen to death in a dumpster. This is St. Louis, Missouri. This is the United States of America. St. Louis has $438 million in American Rescue Plan Act money and $790 million from the NFL’s LA Rams settlement. The State of Missouri has recently reported a $6 billion surplus. There is no excuse for our local and state governments to fail their most vulnerable citizens.
The city does offer some support for the unhoused. When the city opened the Jefferson Spaces tiny house shelter, it offered a glimmer of hope. The shelter is run by Magdala House and includes 50 small homes that work as transitional housing. Biddle Housing Opportunities Center is a 24-hour emergency shelter for men owned by the city and operated by Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church. Places like St. Patrick’s Center, STL Winter Outreach, City Hope, and more recently state Representative Kimberly-Ann Collins’ (D-St. Louis) Kennerly Shelter offer support for our unhoused populations.
Representative Bruce DeGroot (R-Chesterfield) has been very vocal on the homeless provisions in the law, which is not surprising, since he helped sponsor the bill. He believes the unhoused will not be thrown in jail when confronted by law enforcement. DeGroot maintains that the provision gives law enforcement the flexibility to not write a ticket as long as they offer an alternative place to go.
But that is easier said than doner. There are many reports that the city’s 211 line has been down and warming stations were closed during the latest freeze. The 211 line is a taxpayer-funded hotline that provides resources to people who are homeless. What is the point of a hotline if the only response citizens get is that there are no 24/7 walk-in shelter beds available? This will create a situation where police officers have no other option but to fine the unhoused.
Bill sponsors and supporters will mention that House Bill 1606 does support the unhoused because it allows for state funds to be put toward homeless outreach teams. But if the law’s goal were to support those dealing with homelessness, why would it penalize areas that have the highest homelessness rate? As the law is written, St. Louis could be at risk of not having access to additional state funds if our per capita homelessness rate is higher than Missouri’s average of 10 unhoused per 10,000 people, according to the National Alliance to Alliance to End Homelessness.
This is a recipe for disaster considering St. Louis has over 90 municipalities that contribute to our rates.
Instead of making life harder for the unhoused and for cities with a high number of unhoused, our legislators should try compassion toward our most vulnerable citizens. Compassion can give lawmakers perspective on solving the root cause of homelessness, which is not caused by an absence of penalties or fines for being unhoused.
Homelessness is a very complex problem that can be caused by environmental factors and social determinants of health such as economic stability, access to healthcare, and educational access or a combination of other things that do not lie solely in the individual’s control.
Threatening jail time and misdemeanors for those who are simply seeking refuge is the opposite of productive. Our legislators in Jefferson City should take the advice of the many agencies that serve on the Governor's Commission to End Homelessness: Frigid temperatures often strip grocery stores of milk, bread, and eggs. They ought to serve as a reminder that our most vulnerable neighbors deserve compassion.
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