In modern America, being homeless is getting worse and worse. When I attended the Supportive Housing Network of New York’s Annual Supportive Housing Conference, I had the honor of listening to Anthony Feliciano, who is Vice President of Advocacy at Housing Works, talk about the distressing rise of violence directed towards the homeless. Most homeless people are elderly or facing medical issues. Without a home with a lock, they are completely vulnerable to violence. Violence against homeless people often goes unreported, and if it is, it’s often difficult to actually catch the culprit. Surveys by the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) tell us that of the ~771,000 people experiencing homelessness in the US, 22% had been physically assaulted or beaten up, and 7% had been sexually assaulted. ~40% of assaults are lethal, according to the NAEH Violence and Hate Against Unhoused Americans Report for 2024. Homelessness leaves our most vulnerable members of society without the ability to protect themselves in any way.

I find this to be one of the most distressing parts of being homeless today. What laws do you think would work to help address this increase? What actions can we take as advocates to solve the problem?