A new law in Missouri makes sleeping on state-owned lands a felony.
The bill was signed into law by the Republican governor.
The legislation passed by the Missouri House will go into effect on January 1, 2023.
No person can use state-owned lands for sleeping, camping, or long-term shelters. The first offense gets a warning, and the second is a Class C felony, which can lead to 15 days in prison or a $750 fine, according to the Post-Dispatch.
The Missouri attorney general can file a lawsuit against cities if they don't enforce their camping, sleeping or obstruction of sidewalks laws. Those with a higher per-capita homelessness rate than the state average will not receive further state funding until they lower their per-capital homelessness rate.
The Post-Dispatch has seen a letter written by the director of the Missouri Department of Mental Health to the governor. Legislation was signed by the governor in June.
Huhn wrote that it was difficult to find housing for homeless people with criminal justice histories.
State and federal funds can only be used to build temporary camps for the homeless, instead of permanent housing, according to the Post-Dispatch. This will have a negative impact on the unsheltered community who may not be able to find a place to live.
"Private landlords statewide may choose not to lease to persons experiencing homelessness for a number of reasons, such as no rental history, no credit or poor credit, or criminal justice histories." Table housing is a key part of recovery.
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