National Homelessness Law Center (NHLC) and The Human Rights Clinic (HRC): In recent years, there has been an alarming surge in the implementation of laws and policies across the United States (U.S.) that directly target and criminalize homelessness, impacting at least 771,480 Americans on any given night.

This report examines the current policies which enable this criminalization of homelessness and mental health, violations of international human rights standards, and potential evidence-based alternatives to provide mental health support to unhoused individuals.