Criminalizing homelessness isn’t answer to the problem

A national push to criminalize homelessness is impacting the state as cities and lawmakers introduce policies aimed at regulating encampments and other support for unhoused Oklahomans, legal experts say. Efforts to criminalize homelessness through tickets, fines or arrests aren’t new, but have increased in the last few years partly as a result of the issue becoming more visible due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an analysis from the National Homeless Law Center.