Digital Commons Network^™

Faith Is The First Step: Faith-Based Solutions To Homelessness, Katherine Means, Sara Rankin

Homeless Rights Advocacy Project

This brief guides faith leaders interested in providing homeless services on their land, highlighting legal and operational considerations and community education and outreach. Faith-based organizations (FBOs) have been important social services providers throughout history. Today, they continue to play an important role with specific legal protections. Indeed, FBOs enjoy special legal protections for their religious practice, which may allow them to provide shelter even if otherwise prohibited by local law. Any FBO with the desire to address homelessness on its land should be able to do so, and this brief sets forth best practices based on successful case studies in …

Begging For Change: Begging Restrictions Throughout Washington, Sara Rankin, Jocelyn Tillisch, Drew Sena, Judith Olson

Homeless Rights Advocacy Project

The act of panhandling, commonly known as begging, is a form of speech protected by the United States Constitution. But Washington’s cities are increasingly enacting laws that criminalize begging, despite courts finding these laws unconstitutional under both the First Amendment and the Due Process Clause. This brief surveys begging restrictions, assessing their scope and legality. This report offers the first statewide analysis of laws that restrict begging.

Among the brief's key findings is that the vast majority (86%) of Washington cities criminalize begging; the majority (83%) of these laws result in a criminal charge if violated, leading to serious collateral …