Summary

The study, issued by the Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights and the Special Rapporteur on adequate housing, explains why the criminalization of persons experiencing homelessness or poverty is not a suitable solution and may violate a wide range of human rights. The study argues that criminalization perpetuates historical legacies of discrimination and exclusion, entrenches discrimination and stigmatization and is an unsuitable, inefficient and costly approach to address social issues.  It calls on States and local governments to repeal vagrancy laws and legislation penalizing life-sustaining activities in public spaces, such as sleeping, living, begging or undertaking informal economic activities in public spaces for persons that have no other means for their own survival.