You may think as you walk by a homeless person on the street, they are free from the laws of the average citizen.  With no home or job to dictate their schedule and no income to budget or bills to accumulate, who or what is helping to provide structure and guidance to their lives?  The ACLU of Arizona has compiled a booklet of regulations and information on the rights of the homeless.  Some sections of the booklet include, blocking sidewalks, urban camping, noise and public indecency, to name a few http://www.acluaz.org/sites/default/files/documents/Homeless%20in%20Phoenix.pdf.  There are also guidelines for the homeless as it pertains to housing rights around the United States.  These are listed on the U.S Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) website http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/comm_planning/homeless/lawsandregs/.  Some topics of interest are, shelter care, Section 8 rehabilitation and supportive housing programs.

    •    Some researchers suggest that shelters aren’t most important when trying to help the lives of the homeless. Shelters can even be a place they avoid for the feeling of crowding. Programs that not only give shelter and food but also training for jobs and access to transportation, will reduce the number of those who choose homelessness. However, health care of physical and psychological nature are just as important for getting a person back on their feet.
    ◦    The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 invested 1.5 billion dollars to preventing homelessness and allowing for  the rapid re-housing of both homeless families and individuals, enabling them with the reentering the labor market at a faster rate and preventing further destabilization of neighborhoods.
    ◦    Arizona Coalition to End Homelessness takes donations, however, it’s important to research before donating to any organization in order to understand where the money is being spent and how much contribution goes to the case.
    ◦    Advocacy groups already exist but will need strong support in order to make an impact and change the conditions of homelessness.

Authors: Jessica Alvarez, Jennifer Abeyta, Heather Pierson and Alex Fuentes