You Donâ•Žt Have a Home to Go to but You Can Stay Here: A Bill of Rights for Unhoused Minnesotans,

University of Minnesota Law School University of Minnesota Law School

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Minnesota Law Review

2021

You Don’t Have a Home to Go to but You Can Stay Here: A Bill of You Don’t Have a Home to Go to but You Can Stay Here: A Bill of

Rights for Unhoused Minnesotans, Rights for Unhoused Minnesotans,

Daniel P. Suitor

Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.law.umn.edu/mlr

Recommended Citation Recommended Citation

Suitor, Daniel P., "You Don’t Have a Home to Go to but You Can Stay Here: A Bill of Rights for Unhoused

Minnesotans," (2021).

Minnesota Law Review

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525!

Note%

You%Don’t%Have%a%Home%to%Go%to%but%You%Can%Stay%Here:%

A%Bill%of%Rights%for%Unhoused%Minnesotans%

Daniel'P.'Suitor*'

A"mighty"woman"with"a"torch,"whose"flame"

Is"the"imprisoned"lightning,"an d"he r"na m e"

Mother"of"Exiles."From"her"beacon-hand"

Glows"world-wide"welcome;"her"mild"eyes"command"

The"air-bridged"harbor"that"twin"cities"frame."

“Keep,"ancient"lands,"your"storied"pomp!”"cries"she"

With"silent"lips."“Give"me"your"tired,"your"poor,"

Your"huddled"masses". "."."."

Send"these,"the"homeless,"tempest-tost"to"me,"

I"lift"my"lamp"beside"the"gold en "doo r!”"

—"The"New"Colossus,"Emma"Lazarus

*"" J.D."Cand ida te ,"Class"of"2 0 22 ,"University"of"Minnesota"Law "School."Symp os iu m "

Articles"Editor,"MINN.$LAW.$REV.,"Volum e"106."Thank"you"to"my"wife,"Dana"Peterson,"for"

her"indefatigable"supp ort."None"of"this"would"be"possible"without"you."Thank"you"to"

Professor"Richard"Frase"for"his"wise"and"generous"advisement."I"was"lucky" to"benefit"

from"your"form id a b le"knowledg e"and"experience."Thank"you"to"Tristia"Bauman"and"

Rian"Watt"for"offering" their"expertise" on"hom elessness"law"and"policy."Thank"you"to"

Casey"Epstein"and"Meredith"Gingold" for" their" encouragement"and"guidance"as"Note" &"

Comment"Editors."Notably,"Mr."Epstein"patien t ly "acc e p t e d "the"late"delivery"of"a"118-

page"draft"around"the"time"his"first"child"was"delivered." Thank"you" to"my" Volume"106"

editors:"Bran d ie "Burr is ,"Eura" Chang," Marra"Clay,"Ashley"Meeder," and"Mollie"Wag o n e r ."

It"is"an"honor"to"be"considered"among"your"peers."For"a"further"list"of"friends"and"family"

who"made"law"school"bearable,"see"Daniel"P."Suitor,"Winning%What’s%Owed:%A%Litigative%

Approach%to%Reparations,"105"MINN.$L.$REV.$HEADNOTES"391," 391"n.*"(2021)."This"Note"

is"dedicated"to"those"who"have"experienced"the"violence"and"trauma"of"hom elessness."

Housing"is"a" human"right"and" it"is"to" each"of"our" great" shame"that"we"fail"to" meet" this"

charge."I"am"sorry"our"society"has"treated"you"so"unjustly."Finally,"this"Note"is"for"Dana"

and"my"unborn"child."I"wish" w e"could" bring"you"into"a"kind"and" fair"world,"but"that" is"

beyond"us."All"we" can" do" is"w ork" to" make" this"w orld"kinder" and" fairer"until,"someday,"

that"mission"becomes"yours."We "love"you ."Copyright"©"2021"by"Daniel"P."Suitor."

." Emma" Lazarus," The%New%Colossus,"NAT’L$PARKS$SERV.:$STATUE$OF$LIBERTY"(Aug."

14," 2019)," https://www.nps.gov/stli/learn/historyculture/colossus.htm" [https://"

perma.cc/TMW9-2QPC]."

526' MINNESOTA'LAW'REVIEW' [106:525!

!!INTRODUCTION!!!

Unhoused!people

!enjoy! few!of!the!rights!their!housed!neighbors!

exercise.!It!is!not!enough!that!the!poorest!and!most!vulnerable!among!

us!must!live!on!the!streets:!our!society!is!determined!to!disenfranchise!

and!persecute!them!at!every!turn.!Without!improved!enforcement!of!

their!constitutional!rights,!unhoused!people!will!continue!to!suffer!at!

the!hands! of!government!as!they!did!in!Minneapolis,!Minnesota!in!the!

summer!of!2020.!

In! May! 2020,! as! demonstrations! in! Minneapolis! protesting! the!

murder! of! George! Floyd! turned! destructive,! the! denizens! of! those!

streets! sought! shelter.

! By! the! weekend! following! Floyd’s! death,!

scores!of!unhoused!Minneapolitans!occupied!an!empty!Sheridan! ho tel!

on!Chicago!Avenue.

!Standing!in!the!shadow!of!the!Midtown!Exchange!

building,!and!bathed!in!the!smoke! of!a!burnt-out!bookstore!across! the!

street,

!the!self-styled!“Share-a-ton”!provided!refuge!to!300!unhoused!

people!while!a!“ragtag!group!of!volunteers”!distributed!food!and!sup-

plies.

!Within!two!weeks,!however,!the!owner!of!the!hotel!evicted!its!

." Some" activists"and" service" providers" use" the" word" “unhoused”" in" place" of"

“homeless”"when"referring"to"people"suffering"the"condition"of"homelessness."It"is"gen-

erally" seen" as"less" rhetorically" punitive" and"personally" exclusive." See,% e.g.,"Why%Un-

housed?," UNHOUSED.ORG," https:/ / www.unh o u s ed.org/overv ie w" [https:/ / "

perma.cc/42QD-8EDJ]"(“The"label"of"‘homeless’"has"derogatory"connotations."."."."The"

use"of"the"term"‘Unhoused’"."."."."implies"that"there"is"a "moral"and"socia l"assumption "that"

everyone"should"be"housed"in"the"first"place.”)."“Homeless”"remains"the"dominant"term"

used"by"government,"media,"and"service"organizations."This"Note"will"use"“unhoused”"

as"the"term"for"people"experiencing"the"condition,"and"“ hom elessness”"as"the"term"for"

the"broader"phenom en on."When"referring"to"outside"materials,"this"Note"will"preserve"

the"original"source’s"nomenclature."

." See%Julia"Lurie,"They%Built%a%Utopian%Sanctuary%in%a%Minneapolis%Hotel.%Then%

They% Got% Evicted.," MOTHER$ JONES" (June" 12," 2020)," https://ww w"

.motherjon e s.c o m/crime-ju s tice /2 0 2 0/ 0 6/ minneapolis-shera ton- george-floyd-pro-

tests"[https://perma.cc/8MUY -TWF3]."

." Id."

." See%Dylan"Thomas,"His%Bookstores% Burned.% Don% Blyly% Wants%to%Keep%Selling,"

MINNEAPOLIS/ST.$ PAUL$ BUS.$ J." (June" 3 ," 2020," https://ww w "

.bizjournals .com/twinc it ie s/news/20 2 0 / 0 6/02/don-blyly-watched-his-bookstore-

burn-and.html),"[https://perma.cc/C3FB-3J8T]."

." Lurie,"supra%note"3.!

2021]' RIGHTS'FOR'UNHOUSED'MINNESOTANS' 527!

residents

!and,!with!nowhere!else!to! turn,! the!unhoused!began!to!set-

tle!in!Minneapolis’s!public!parks.

After!backing!down!from!an!initial!eviction!attempt,

!the!Minne-

apolis!Park!&!Recreation!Board!(MPRB)!allowed!the!unhoused!to!take!

up!residence! in!the!city’s!parks.

!What!became!known!as! the!“Minne-

apolis! Sanctuary! Movement”

! peaked! in! mid-July! 2020.! Encamp-

ments!sprang!up!in!thirty-eight!city!parks,!the!largest!being!a!settle-

ment!in!Powderhorn!Park!where!282!residents!lived!divided!among!

560! tents.

! The! surrounding! community! initially! rallied! around! its!

unhoused!neighbors,!working!with!encampm ent!residents!to!support!

the! sanctuaries.

! Soon! enough,! however,! a! certain! portion! of! the!

." See%Chris"Serres"&"Miguel"Otárola,"Homeless%Evicted%from%Former%Minneapolis%

Hotel% After% Drug% Overdose," STAR$ TRIB." (June" 9," 2020)," https://w w w "

.startribune .com/home le s s - evicted- fr om-former-mpls-hotel-after-drug-over-

dose/571135962"[https://perma.cc/3AR8-QLCZ]"(“The"hotel"owner"."."."has"ordered"

the"eviction"of"all"the"guests,"according"to"volunteers"at"the"site."The"sudden"eviction"

marks"the"second"time"in"two"weeks"that"large"numbers"of"homeless"people"have"been"

forced"to"vacate"a"te m p o ra ry "site ". ".".".”)."

." See%Chris"Serres,"‘Nowhere%Left%to%Go’:%Minn e a po lis %H o meless%Forced%Out%of%a%

Hotel% Face% Uncertain% Future," STAR$ TRIB." (June" 13," 2020 )," https://www"

.startribune .com/minn eapolis-homeless-forced - ou t-of-a-hotel-face-uncertain-fu-

ture/571231192"[https://p erm a.cc/ CD 4W -Z828]"(“Seeking"safety"in"numbers,"about"

30"people"pitched"tents"at"the"northwest"corner"of"[Powderho rn]"park"."."." .” )."

." Id."(“A"standoff"was"ultimately" avoided"when"the"Park"Board"late"Friday" re-

scinded"its"72-hour"vacate"notice".".".".”)."

." MINNEAPOLIS$ PARK$ &$ RECREATION$ BD.,$ RESOL.$ 2020-253" (2020),""

https://minneapolisparksmn.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_LegiFile"

.aspx?Frame=&Meet in gID=2085 & MediaPosit io n = &ID=5078 "

[https://perma.cc/UQ5 Y-8D48]" (“Be" It" Resolved," that" the" MPRB" is" committed" to"

providing"people"currently"experiencing"homelessness"refuge"space" in" Minneapolis"

parks".".".".”)."

." See%Miguel"Otárola,"Months%After%Uprising,%Minneapolis%Sanctuary%Movement%

Raises% Alarm% Over% Homeless% Crisis," STAR$ TRIB." (Sept." 21," 2020),""

https://www.startribune.com/months-after-uprising-minneapolis-sanctuary"

-movement-raises-alarm-of-homelessness-crisis/572473261"

[https://perma.cc/W4 L6-A4VJ]."

." Minneapolis%Park%Board%to%Consider%Resolution%Providing%Guidelines%for%Park%

Encampments," MINNEAPOLIS$ PARK$ &$ RECREATION$ BD." (July" 10," 2020),""

https://www.minneapolisparks.org/news/2020/07/10/m inn eap olis-park-board-to"

-consider-resolution-providing-guidelines-for-park-encampments"

[https://perma.cc/LSP9-S8ZF]"(discussing"the"size"of"the" Powderhorn"encampment)."

In"a ddition " to"shelter,"tents"were "used"to"provide"sto rag e" for"supplies"and"person al"

belongings"or"to"administer"support"services." See%Encampments,"MINNEAPOLIS$PARK$&$

RECREATION$ BD.," https://www.minneapolisparks.org/encampments"

[https://perma.cc/SW 95-AGL3]."

." See%Rachel"M."Cohen,"How%the%Largest% Known%Homeless% Encampment%in%Min-

neapolis% History% Came% to% Be," APPEAL" (July" 15," 2020)," https://theapp eal.org/ "

528' MINNESOTA'LAW'REVIEW' [106:525!

housed!population!soured!on!the!idea!of!unhoused!people!living!in!the!

park!next!door.

!Beset!by!neighborhood!complaints!over!the!sanctu-

aries

—including!a!lawsuit!filed!by! a!nearby!landlord!alleging!that!

“allowing!and!promoting!the!formation!and!continuation!of!tent!en-

campments!in! Powerhorn![sic]!Park”!constituted!“[n]egligent!inflic-

tion!of!emotional!distress”

—the!MPRB!ordered!the!largest!sanctu-

aries! broken! up.

! When! a! number! of! Powderhorn! Sanctuary!

residents! d eclined!to! self-evict,!the!Minneapolis!Park!Police!bulldozed!

their!tents,!threw!any!belongin gs! left!into!dumpsters,!and!deployed!

pepper!spray!against!demonstrators!who!gathered!to!support!the!en-

campments.

The! six-week! rise! and! fall! of! the! Powderhorn! Sanctuary! epito-

mizes!the!challenges!facing!the!unhoused!nationwide.!People!with!few!

resources! and! nowhere! else! to! turn! are! merely! tolerated! until! the!

sight!of!them!becomes!inconvenient.

!Then,!the!comfortably!housed!

minneapolis-homelessness-crisis-powderhorn-park-encampment"

[https://perma.cc/N32 Y-GPBP]"(“Volunteers"began"organizing"funds"and"coordinat-

ing"daily"meal"deliveries,"setting"up"laund ry "shifts," a n d"donating"blanke ts,"water,"and"

toiletries.”)."

." See%Caitlin"Dickerson,"A%Minneapolis%Neighborhood%Vowed%to%Check%Its%Privi-

lege.% It’s% Already% Being% Tested.," N.Y.$ TIMES" (July" 21," 2020)," https://www"

.nytimes.com/2020/06/24/us/m inneapolis-george-floyd-police.html"

[https://perma.cc/CYA 7-XCK3]" (“The" influx" of" [unhoused]" outsiders" has" kept" [one"

resident]"awak e"at"n ight." ."."."‘I"am"afraid" ."."."."I’m"not"feeling"grounded"in"my" city"at"all."

Anything"could"happen.’”)."

." See"Al"Bangoura,"Update:%Refuge%Space%to%People%Currently%Experiencing%Home-

lessness," MINNEAPOLIS$ PARK$ &$ RECREATION$ BD.$ 24" (July" 15," 2020)," https://www"

.minneapo lis p a r k s .o rg /wp-content/uploads/202 0/07/0 7-15-20-Update-Refuge-

Space-Presentation.pdf"[https://perma.cc/B5BZ-4L2S]"(reporting"that"80%"of"the"480"

public"comments"received"“ were"opposed"to"the"encampments”)."

." Complaint"at"5–7,"Sawyer"v."M inneapolis"Park"&"Recreation"Bd.,"No."27-CV-

20-9518"(M inn."Dist."Ct."July"17,"2020),"dismissed%with%prejudice,"(Minn." Dist."Ct."Aug."

28,"2020)."

." See% MINNEAPOLIS$ PARK$ &$ RECREATION$ BD.,$ RESOL.$ 2020-267" (2020),"

https://minneapolisparksmn.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_Legi-

File.aspx?Frame=&MeetingID=2087&MediaPosition=&ID=5115"

[https://perma.cc/K9Y 9-B8FM]"(“[A]ny"encampment"that"does"not"have"a"necessary"

permit"[limited"to"20"encampments"citywide" of"no"more"than"25"tents"each]"pursuant"

to"this"resolution"will"be"subject"to"removal"from"park "prope rty ".".".".”)."

." See%Tim"Harlow,"Minneapolis%Officials%Clear%Powderhorn%Park%of%Last%Campers,"

STAR$ TRIB." (Aug." 14," 2020)," https://www.startribu ne.com / officials-clear"

-powderhorn-park-in-minneapolis-of-la st-campers/572113042"

[https://perma.cc/36G8-J2CT]."

." See%Britta"Greene,"Powderhorn%Residents%Plead%for%Help%to%M anage%Homeless%

Encampment," MINN.$ PUB.$ RADIO$ NEWS" (July" 7," 2020),"

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2020/07/06/powderhorn-residents-plead-for"

2021]' RIGHTS'FOR'UNHOUSED'MINNESOTANS' 529!

and!comparatively!wealthy!turn!the!power!of!the!state!on!these!vul-

nerable! and! disenfranchised! people.

! Local! governments’! baroque!

cruelty!towards!unhoused!people!peacefully!occupying!a!park

!does!

not!treat!the!underlying!causes!of!homelessness.

!The!goal!of!munic-

ipal!policies!harassing!and!displacing!unhoused!people!is!not!to!solve!

the!problem,

!but!to!spare!passersby!from!the!thought!that,!“there,!

but!by!some!stroke!of!luck,!go!I.”

The! fate! of! the! Powderhorn! Sanctuary,! however,! tells! another!

tale;! this!one!more!hopeful!than!the!first.!W ith!the! aid!of!the!American!

Civil!Liberties!Union!(ACLU)!of!Minnesota!and!Zakat,!Aid!and!Charity!

-help-to-manage-homeless-encampment"[https://perma.cc/57TN-TY2U]"(“‘We’re"all"

liberals,’"[a"Pow de rhorn "neighborhood"resident]"said."‘We’re"all"sympathetic"."."."."But"

this"is"not"the"answer.’”)."

." See,%e.g.,"Pottin g e r"v."City "of"Mia mi,"810"F."Supp."1551 ,"15 6 7 "(S.D."Fla."1992)"

(“The"[police]"supervisor"reported"that,"to"solve"the"problem"[of"homeless"people"gath-

ering"to"collect"fo od "distributed "by" a "charity],"he"ha d "assigned"a"u n it"to"‘arrest"and/or"

force"an"extraction"o f"the"unde sira b le s"from"the"area,’"and" that"the"arrests"‘produced"

immediate"positive"resu lts .’” ),"remanded%for%clarification%and%reconsideration,"40"F.3d"

1155"(11th"Cir."1994),"referred%for%settlement%discussions,"76"F.3d"1154"(11t h "Cir."1996)"

(reaching"settlement"including"a"consent"decree "in"1998),"plaintiffs’%attys.%fees%denied,"

2014"WL"2890061"(S.D."Fla."June"25,"2014),"aff’g%denial%of%attys.%fees,"805"F.3d"1293"

(11th"Cir."2015),"terminating%consent%decree ,"3 5 9 "F ."S u p p."3d"1177"(S .D."Fla."2019) ."

." E.g.,"Declar a ti o n "of"Patrick"Berry"in"Support"of"Plain ti ffs’"Motion" for"Tempo-

rary"Restraining"Order"at"3,"Berry,"No."2 0 -CV-02189,"2020"WL"6337706"(D."Minn."Oct."

29,"2020)"(“People"are" already"suffering"so" much." It"is" really"cruel" what" the" city" is" do-

ing."The"bulldozers"are"a"ridiculous"show"of"force."Why"cou l dn’t"they"just"pull"the"tents"

up"by"hand?”)."

." See%Loper"v."N.Y.C."Police"D ep’t,"802"F.Supp."1029,"1046"(S.D.N.Y."1992)"(“If"

some"portion"of"society"is"offended,"the"answer"is"not"in"criminalizing"those"people"."."."."

The"root"cause"is"not"served"by"removing"them"from"sight,"however;"society"is"then"

just"able"to"preten d"th ey "d o"n ot "ex ist"a "little"longer.”)."

." See%Maria"Foscarinis,"Kelly"Cunningham-Bowers"&"Kristen"E.!Brown,"Out%of%

Sight—Out%of%Mind?:%The%Continuing%Trend%Toward%the%Criminalization%of%Homelessness ,"

6"GEO.$J.$ON$POVERTY$L.$&$POL’Y"145,"146–47"(1999)"(“[L]ocal"governments"have"turned "

to"the" crim ina l"justice"system "in"an "effort"to"drive"ho m eless"people" from "their"streets."

This"is,"at"best,"a"m isguided"‘quick-fix’"tha t"addresses"the"visible"symptoms"of"home-

lessness"but"not"its"und erly ing"c au ses .”)."

." Compare% Neil"Bhutta,"Jesse" Bricker," Andrew"C."Chang,"Lisa" J."Dettling,"Sarena"

Goodman,"Joanne"W."Hsu,"Kevin"B."Moore,"Sarah"Reber,"Alice"Henriques"Volz"&"Richard"

A."Windle,"Changes%in%U.S.%Family%Finances%from%2016%to%2019:%Evidence%from%the%Survey%

of%Consumer%Finances,"106$FED.$RSRV.$BULL.$5,"at "16"&"tbl.3"(202 0 ) "(reporting"that"Amer -

icans"had"a"median"of"$5,300"in"available"cash"assets"in"2019),"with"Greta"K aul,"How%

COVID-19%Has%Affected%the%Price%of%Rent%in%the%Twin%Cities,"MINN POST"(June"1 8,"2020),"

https://www.minnpost.com/economy/2020/06/how-covid-19-has-affected-the"

-price-of-rent-in-the-twin-cities"[https://perma.cc/XNX8-DCL6]"(reporting"a"real"es-

tate"listing"service’s"fin ding"that"the"average"rent"in"the"Twin"Cities"was"$1,567"in"M ay"

2020)."

530' MINNESOTA'LAW'REVIEW' [106:525!

Assisting! Humanity! (ZACAH)—a! Muslim! charity! focused! on! aiding!

Minnesotans!on!the!verge! of!homelessness

—former!residents!of!the!

Powderhorn!Sanctuary!and!other!park!encampments!filed!a!class!ac-

tion!lawsuit! against!a! host!of! civic!defendants,!including! the!City! of!

Minneapolis,!Hennepin!County,!the!MPRB,!and!Mayor!of!Minneapolis!

Jacob!Frey.

!The!unhoused!plaintiffs!in!Berry'v.'Hennepin!County!al-

leged! an! array! of! constitutional! rights! violations—sounding! in! sei-

zure,!privacy,!and!due!process!grounds—stemming!from!the!destruc-

tion!of!their!property!in!the!MPRB’s!clearing!of!the!encampments.

Along!with!their!initial!complaint,!the!plaintiffs!moved!for!a!temporary!

restraining!order!seeking!to!enjoin!the!city!defendants!from!“clearing,!

sweeping,!disbanding,!or!demobilizing!encampments!of!homeless!in-

dividuals!living!in!public!parks!and!other!publicly-owned!green!space!

within!Hennepin!County.”

Ten!days!later,! the!U.S.!District!Court!for!the!District!of!Minnesota!

denied!the!motion,!reasoning!that!“the!Encampment!Plaintiffs!will!not!

experience!irreparable!harm!in!the!event!that!the!MPRB!disbands!an!

encampment!.!.!.!.”

!The!court!further!held!that!the!plaintiffs!did!not!

prove!their!“alleged!harm![wa]s!sufficiently!certain!and!concrete.”

Despite!that!holding,!the!City!of!Minneapolis!proved!sufficiently!cer-

tain!in!its!mission!and!continued!to!sweep!encampments,!seemingly!

in!violation!of!a!representation!to!the!federal!court!in!Berry.

!Further-

more,!intentional! conduct!by!the!MPRB! may!have!been!responsible!for!

." ZAKAT,$ AID$ &$ CHARITY$ ASSISTING$ HUMAN," https:/ / www.zaca h .org" [https://"

perma.cc/P5J4-LPKY]."

." Class"Action"Complaint"at"3–25,"Berry"v."Hennepin"Cnty.,"No."20-CV-02189,"

2020"WL"6337706"(D."Minn."Oct."29,"2020)"(listing"parties"to"the"case)."

." Id.%at"46–49."

." Plaintiffs’"Motion"for"Temporary" Restraining"Order"at"1–2,"Berry,"202 0 " W L "

6337706."

." Berry,"2020"WL"63 3 7 7 06,"at"*4."

." Id."

." Id.%(“The"City" of"Minneapolis," along"with"Minneapolis" Mayor"Frey"[and"other"

city"D efendants]" represented"to"[the]"Court"that" encampm ents" will"not"be"removed"

unless"."."."adequate"shelter"exists"elsewhere.”)."Less" than"two"weeks"after"the"Berry%

court"denied"the"plaintiffs’"restraining"order,"activists"reported"that"the"City"o f"Minne-

apolis"cleared"an"encampment" despite"a"lack"of"available"shelter"beds.%See%Lauren"Jo-

sephine" (@YoLarryJohnson)," TWITTER" (Nov." 11," 2020)," https://twitter"

.com/YoL a r ry Jo hnson/stat u s / 1 3 2 6 4 22330487296002" [https://web.archive.org/"

web/20201111071300/https://twitter.com/YoLarryJohnson/status/"

1326422330487296002]" (“There" are" ZERO" shelter" beds," shelters" are" completely"

full."."."."He n n e p i n "county" & "MPD"delivered" a n "eviction" n o t ic e "to"an" e n c a mpment"toda y"

with"zero"alternatives"given"WHILE"IT"WAS"HAILING"ON"US.”)."

2021]' RIGHTS'FOR'UNHOUSED'MINNESOTANS' 531!

the! plaintiffs’! inability! to! prove! the! certainty! of! encampment!

sweeps.

The!plaintiffs!in!Berry'stepped!forward!in!an!attempt!to!protect!

the! rights!of!all!unhoused!people!in!Minneapolis.

!At!the!time!of!writ-

ing,!the!City!of!Minneap olis!has!revoked!permission!for!unhoused!peo-

ple!to!form!park!encampments!altogether.

!The!end!of!Minnesota’s!

temporary!coronavirus-response!eviction!protections!hangs!over!its!

residents!like!the!Sword!of!Damocles,

!threatening!to!inflict!home-

lessness!on!even!more!people!than!before.

!Clearing!an!“illegal”!en-

." See%Class" Action" Amended" Complaint"at" 46"n.52,"Berry,"2020" WL"6337706 ""

(“In"fact,"internal"MPRB"emails"show"that"the"MPRB"wanted"to"keep"proposed"dates"of"

upcoming"sweeps"private,"possibly"to "a vo id "g ivin g "p ro te st or s"time"to"mobilize .”)."

." Id.%at"30" (“The" plaintiff"class"consists"of" all" homeless" persons"living"within"

Hennepin"County"who" have" been," are" now," or" will" in" the" future"be" living"on"public"

property.”)."

." See%Encampments,"supra%note"12"(“February"3,"2021"."."." Commissioners"ap -

prove" Resolution%2021-122"which"replaces"and"effectively"repeals"two"previous"reso-

lutions"on"encampments"in"Minneapo lis"parks ."."."."[T]he"Superintendent"no"longer"has"

authority"to"issue"permits"for"encam pm ents.”)."

." At"the"beginning"of"the"COVID-19"pandemic,"Minnesota"Governor"Tim"Walz"

issued"an "eviction"m o ra to riu m"which "was"exten d ed "each"mo n th "until"July"2021."See%

Minn."Emergency"Exec."Order"No."20-14,"at"2"(Mar."23,"202 0 )"(“Beginning"no"later"than"

March"24,"2020" ."."."the"ability"to"file"an"eviction"action "under"M in neso ta"Statutes"."."."is"

suspended.”);"Minn."Em erg ency "Exec."Order"No."21-24,"at"2"(June"14,"20 2 1 )"(extendin g "

Minnesota’s"eviction"m ora torium "through"July"14,"2021)." O n"June"29,"2021," Governor"

Walz"signed"into"law"a"graduated"phaseout"of"the"state’s"eviction"protections."See%2021"

Minn."Laws"1st"Spec."Sess.,"ch."8,"art."5."As"of"October"12,"2021,"Minnesota"law"no"longer"

restricted"otherwise"lawful"evictions"unless"the"eviction"was"for"no n p ay ment"of"rent"

and"the"tenant"had"a"pending" application"with"a" federally"backed"em ergency"rental"

assistance" p rogram."See%id."ch."8,"art."5,"§"2,"§"4"(exten ding "the"protection s"of"that"ex-

emption"until"June"1,"2022)."A"federal"eviction"moratoriu m"was"issued"in"Sep t e mber"

2020"by"the"Centers"for"Disease"Control"and"Prevention"(CDC)"and"expired"on"July"31,"

2021."Temporary%Halt%in%Residential%Evictions%in%Communities%with% Substantial%or%High%

Levels%of%Community%Transmission%of%COVID-19%to%Prevent%the%Further%Spread%of%COVID-

19,"CTRS.$FOR$DISEASE$CONTROL$&$PREVENTION"7"(2021),"https://www.cdc.gov/corona-

virus/2019-ncov/communication/Signed-CDC-Eviction-Order.pdf"

[https://perma.cc/V4ZM -V7EV]." The" CDC’s" second,"less-expansive" moratorium" was"

set"to"expire"after"October"3 ,"2021,"id.%at"19,"but"on"August"26,"2021,"the"Supreme"Court"

allowed" a" federal" district" court"to" enjoin"that"second" moratorium." See%Ala."Ass’n"of"

Realtors"v."Dep’t"of"Health"&"Hum."Servs.,"141"S."Ct."2485"(per"curiam)"(vacating"a"stay"

of"enforcement"of"the"U.S."District"Court"for"the"District"of"Columbia’s"grant"of"sum m ary"

judgment"in"fav or"o f"th e"p la intiff"la n dlo rd s) ."

." Compare" Eviction% Estimates% When% Minnesota% Reopens,$ LAWRENCE$ R.$

MCDONOUGH" 16" (2021)," [hereinafter" MCDONOUGH]" https://www.senate.mn/commit-

tees/2021-2022/3108_Committee_on_Housing_Finance_and_Policy/"

LAWRENCE%20R.%20MCDONO UGH% 20Presentation.pdf" " [https://perma.cc/"

532' MINNESOTA'LAW'REVIEW' [106:525!

campment!during!the!frigid!Minnesota!winter!could!be!a!death!sen-

tence!for!its!residents,

!and!the!Berry'plaintiffs!argue!that!it!violates!

their!constitutional!rights.

!Their!efforts!are!the!latest!iteration!in!a!

long!tradition!of!legal!advocacy!by!the!unhoused.!This!line!of!home-

lessness!case!law!is!predicated!on!identical!underlying!logic:!the!un-

housed!have!claim!to!the!same!fundamental!rights!as!the!rest!of!soci-

ety!but!face!overwhelming!barriers!to!the!enjoyment!of!those!rights.

Yet!how!can!the!unhoused!enforce!their!rights!with!few!resources!

to!afford!legal!counsel!a nd!even!less!respect!from!their!community?

Enter!the!Unhoused!Bill!of!Rights!(UBR).!Enacted!by!a!small!group!of!

states!and!cities,

!these!laws!generally!codify!existing!constitutional!

X2VN-2PQU]"(estimating"that"13,330 "Minnesotans" are "at"risk"o f" e jectm ent"when"e vic-

tion"moratoria"ex pire),"with%Brian"Pittman,"Stephanie"Nelson-Dusek,"Michelle"Decker"

Gerrard" &"Ellen" Shelton,$Homelessness% in%Minnesota,$WILDER$RSCH."36"(2020)"[herein-

after" WILDER$ RSCH.]," http://mnhome less.org/ m inne sota-homeless-study/reports"

-and-fact-sheets/2018 /20 18-hom elessness-in-minnesota-3-20.pdf"

[https://perma.cc/29N G-ALRH]"(finding"that"eviction"and"trouble"affording"housing"

payments"are"the"most"comm on"reasons"people"become"unhoused"in"Minnesota)."

." See%Declaration"of"Dennis"Barrow"in"Support"of"Plaintiffs’"Motion"for"Tempo-

rary" R estraining " Order" at" 3," Berry" v." Hennepin" Cnty.," No." 20- CV-02189," 2020" WL"

6337706"(D."Minn."Oct."29,"2020)"(“I"lost"m y "tent"and"sleeping"bag."I"lost"almost"all"my"

clothes,"including"my"winter"boots"and"winter"coat."I"lost"my"hygiene"su pplies"and "my "

medication"for"my"mental"health."."."."I"have"not"been"able"to"replace"the"things"I"lost.”)."

." Class"Action"Amended"Complaint,"supra%note"32,"at"2"(“In"sweep ing "the se" en -

campments,"D efendants[]"."."."."violate"the"Fourth"and"Fourteenth"Amendments"to"the"

United"States"Constitution".".".".”)."

." See,%e.g.,"G id e o n"v."Wainw r ig h t ,"372"U.S."335,"344"(19 63)"(“This"noble"ideal"

[that"every" defend an t"stands"equa l"before"th e"law]" can n ot"be"rea lized "if"the" p oo r"man"

charged"with"crime"has"to"face"his"accusers"without"a"lawyer"to"assist"him.”);"Pott in ge r "

v."City"of"Miami,"810"F."Supp."1551,"1564"(S.D."Fla."1992)"(“[A]rresting"the"homeless"

for"harmless,"involuntary,"life-sustaining"acts"such"as"sleeping,"sittin g"or"eating"in"pub-

lic"is"cruel"and"un u su al.” );"Martin"v." City " o f" B oise," 9 02"F.3d"1031,"1048"(9th"Cir."2018)"

(“[A]s"long "as"there"is"no"option"of"sleeping"ind oors ," th e"government"cannot"c rimin al-

ize"indigent,"ho meless"people"for"sleeping"outdoors,"on"public"property,"on"the"false"

premise"they"had"a"choice"in"the"matter.”)."

." See"Dave"Metz"&"Lori"Weigel,"Perspectives%on%Homelessness%in%the%Denver%Metro%

Area," DENVER$ FOUND.$ 19" (2017)," http://clo setoh om eco .org/ wp -co ntent/"

uploads/2017-Poll-Findings.pdf" [https://perma.cc/389J-DSPU]" (finding" that" 58" to"

87%"of"Denver-metro"survey"respondents"believed"that"laziness,"personal"choice," or"

irresponsible"behavior"were"sometime s,"usually,"or"almost"always"part"of"the"reason"

people"were"unhoused)."

." See% Homeless% Bill% of% Rights," NAT’L$ COAL.$ FOR$ THE$ HOMELESS," https://"

nationalhomeless.org/cam paigns/bill-of-right"[https://perma.cc/58AF-5ZSD]"(select"

tab"titled"“Local"Homeless"Bill"of"Rights"Measures”)"(providing"a"list"of"enacted"UBR)."

2021]' RIGHTS'FOR'UNHOUSED'MINNESOTANS' 533!

rights

!that! homelessness!makes!more!difficult!to!exercise.

!Some!

unenacted! UBR,! however,! have! proposed! more! ambitious! grants! of!

positive!rights!and!government!mandates.

!This!Note!proposes!that!

Minnesota!should!enact!an!Unhoused!Bill!of!Rights!expanding!on!the!

rights!safeguarded!by!prior!states’!UBRs,!coupled!with!a!robust!set!of!

remedies!and!procedural!provisions!to!promote!enforcement!of!un-

housed!peoples’!rights!through!private!and!public!litigation.!

Homelessness!is!a!complicated!socioeconomic!issue!with!inter-

sectional! root!causes!not!solvable! by! any! one! law.! Other!policy!ad-

vances!are!necessary!to!end!homelessness,

!but!a!UBR!could!play!a!

large!role!in!accomplishing!that!goal.!A!call!to!action!for!the!tired,!the!

poor,!“the!homeless”!is!so!deeply!ingrained!in!our!society!that!it!has!

been!cast!in!bronze!and!bolted!o nto!one!of!the!most!important!monu-

ments!to!our!national!ideals.

!Minnesota!should!correct!its!failure!to!

protect!the!fundamental!rights!of!its!unhoused!residents!by!passing!a!

Bill!of!Rights!for!Unhoused!Minnesotans.!This!law!will!far!exceed!the!

meager!protections!and!non-existent!enforcement!mechanisms!of!al-

ready-enacted!UBRs!to!propose!the! most!progressive! set!of!protec-

tions!and!policy!proposals.!The!Bill!of!Rights!for!Unhoused!Minneso-

tans!will!provide!far!stronger!protec tions!for!the!rights!and!dignity!of!

the!unhoused,!and!it!may !even!reduce!homelessness!statewide.!!

." See%Jonathan" S he ffield ," A%Homeless%Bill%of%Rights:% Step%by%Step%from%State%to%

State,"19$PUB.$INT.$L.$REP.$8,"11"(2013)"(“The" Rhode" Island"and" Illinois"laws"use" similar"

language"and"specify"that"a"perso n"who"is"homeless"has"the"same"rights"and"privileges"

as"any"other"state"resident"."."."."Generally,"the"Connecticut"law"provides"the"same"or"

similar"protections.”).%

." See%Tristia"Bauman"&"Sara"Rankin,%From%Wrongs%to%Rights:%The%Case%for%H ome-

less% Bill% of% Rights% Legislat ion,$ NAT’L$ L.$ CTR.$ ON$ HOMELESSNESS$ &$ POVERTY$ 6–7$ (2014),"

https://homelesslaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10 /Wrongs_to_Rights_"

HBOR.pdf"[https://perma.cc/Y24N-XYDR]"(discussing"the"enacted"UBRs’"goal"of"“safe-

guarding"homeless"persons’"existing"civil"rights”"because"“available"remedies"to"cor-

rect"these"violations"have"been"limited"in"their"effectiveness”)."

." See,%e.g.,%Sara"K."Rankin,"A%Homeless%Bill%of% Rights%(Revolution),"45"SETON$ HALL$

L.$REV."383,"413–14"(2015)"(discussing"p rovision s"in"a"proposed"California"UBR"wh ich"

would"have"required"the"State"to"provide" unhoused"people"increased"access"to"public"

hygiene"facilities"and"required"local"law"enforcement"authorities"to"track"and"report"

enhanced"data"on"homelessness)."

." See,% e.g.,% Policy% 40:% Homelessness," MINNEAPOLIS$ 2040," https:// "

minneapolis2040.com/policies/homelessness"[https://perma.cc/7ZWK-SRAW]"(dis-

cussing"the"City"of" M inneapo lis’s"inten t"to"use"progressive"municipal"housing"regula-

tion"and"supportive"programs"for"those" transition ing"out"of" foster"care"or"in stitution-

alization"“to"eliminate"homelessness”)."

." See%Lazarus,"supra%note"1."

534' MINNESOTA'LAW'REVIEW' [106:525!

Part!I!of!this!Note!provides!background!on!the!condition,!charac-

teristics,!and!prevalence!of!homelessness!before!discussing!the!major!

public!and!private!programs!used!to!aid!the! unhoused.!It!continues!

with!an!examination!of!the!treatment!of!the!unhoused!under!the!law,!

both!local!and!constitutional.!Part!I!concludes!with!a!review!of!differ-

ent!forms!of!Unhoused!Bills!of!Rights,!and! an!analysis! of!their!compar-

ative! stren gths!and!weaknesses.!Part!II!of!this!Note!discusses!the!legal!

limitations!of!enacted!UBR!as!well!as!their!questionable!efficacy!in!ad-

dressing!homelessness.!Part!II!also!discusses!the!political!and!societal!

challenges!militating!against! the!enactment! of!legislation!benefiting!

the!unhoused.!

Part!III!synthesizes!the!conditions!and!causes!of!homelessness,!

the!legal!framework!around!the!rights!of!the!unhoused,!and!previous!

attempts! at! enacting! UBR! to! propose! a! Bill! of! Rights! for! Unhoused!

Minnesotans! (BRUM).! This! Part! positions! BRUM! as! an! incremental!

step!towards!ending!homelessness!by!providing!unhoused!Minneso-

tans! particularized! negative! rights! protectio ns,! specific! positive!

rights,!and! enh anced!procedural!rights!to!enforce!them.!The!Appendix!

of! this! Note! contains! the! proposed! statutory! text! of! BRUM,! which!

should!be!taken!under!consideration!by!the!Minnesota!Legislature!in!

their!efforts!to!preserve!the!rights

!and!promote!the!well-being

!of!

the!state’s!most!vulnerable!residents.!

!!I.!HOMELESSNESS:!THE!CONDITION,!THE!DATA,!AND!THE!LAW!

COMMAND!ACTION!!!

In!order!to!devise!a!law!which!effectively!vindicates!the!rights!of!

unhoused!people,!it!is!vital!to!understand!the!practical!and!legal!chal-

lenges!those!individuals!face.!This!Part!provides!background!on!the!

conditions!and! prevalence!of! homelessness!as! well!as! the!bodies! of!

law!most!relevant!to!unhoused!people.!Section!A!discusses!prevailing!

social!science!classifications!of!the!condition!of!homelessness!as!well!

as!major!socioeconomic!correlates!with!homelessness.!It!goes!on!to!

discuss!statistical!findings!of!the!incidenc e !of!homelessness!as!well!as!

demographic! disparities! in! unhoused! populations.! Section! A! con-

cludes!with!a!discussion!of!major!housing!programs!which!form!the!

backbone!of!the!United!States’!response!to!homelessness.!

." See%MINN.$CONST.$art."I,"§"2"(“No"member"of"this"state"shall"be"disfranchised"or"

deprived"of"any"of"the"rights"or"privileges"secured"to"any"citizen"thereof,"unless"by"the"

law"of"the"land"or"the"ju dg m en t"of"h is"pe ers .”)."

." See%id."art."I,"§"1"(“ Government"is"instituted"for" the"security,"be n e f it"and"pr o -

tection"of"the"people".".".".”)."

2021]' RIGHTS'FOR'UNHOUSED'MINNESOTANS' 535!

Section!B!contemplates! a!corpus'of!homelessness!law.!It!first!dis-

cusses!the!past!and!present!of!enacted!measures!which!target!the!un-

housed! by! criminalizing! basic! life-sustaining! activities.! This! Section!

continues!by!discussing!judicial!analysis!of!the!constitutional!rights!of!

the!unhoused.!Section!C!concludes!this!Part!by!analyzing!existing!and!

proposed!Unhoused! Bills!of!Rights!intended!to!remedy!unhoused!peo-

ples’!unequal!treatment!under!the!law.!As!this!Part!will!show,!a!great!

many!people!are!subject!to!indignities!and!violations!of!their!funda-

mental! rights! as! a! result! of! their! homelessness.! Jurisdictions! have!

taken!a!variety!of!approaches!to!safeguarding!those!rights,!or!oppos-

ing!them,!which!can!inform!the!dr a fting!of!future!UBR.!

A.! PRIMER"ON"HOMELESSNESS!

The!word!“homeless”!is!used!to!“describe[]!a!person!who!lacks!a!

fixed,!regular,!and!adequate!nighttime!residence.”

!Those!experienc-

ing!homelessness!in!Minnesota!(or!“unhoused!persons”)!are!typically!

dealing!with!a!disruption!in!their!housing!arrangements,

!a!disrup-

tion!in!their! income

!or!their!personal!life,

!or!some!combination!

thereof.

!Chronic!homelessness!refers!to!individuals!with!a!disability!

who!have!“been!continuously!homeless!for!one!year!or!more!or!ha[ve]!

experienced!at!least!four!episodes!of!homelessness!in!the!last!three!

years”!totaling!twelve!months.

." See%Meghan"Henry,"Tanya"de"Sousa,"Caroline"Roddey,"Swati"Gayen"&"Thomas"

Joe"Bednar,"The%2020%Annual%Homeless%Assessment%Report% (AHAR)%to%Congress:%Part%1:%

Point-In-Time%Estimates%of%Homelessness,$U.S.$DEP’T$OF$HOUS.$&$URB.$DEV.$2"(2021)"[here-

inafter" AHAR]," https://ww w.huduser.gov/ p o rta l/ s ites / de fau l t/ files / p df/ 2 0 20"

-AHAR-Part-1.pdf"[https://perma.cc/NNZ2-VRC6];"see%also%Homeless"Emergency"As-

sistance" and" Rapid"Transition" to"Housing" Act" of"2009," Pub." L."No."111-22," div." B,"§"

1003(a)(2),"123"Stat."1663,"1664"(2009)."

." See% WILDER$ RSCH.," supra% note" 36," at" 36" (reporting" that" 41%" of" “homeless"

adults"left"their"last"housing”"because"of"eviction,"nonrenewal"of"their"lease,"or"foreclo-

sure"of"the"home"they"owned"or"rented)."

." See%id."(reporting"th at" 4 7% "of"“homeless"adults"left"their"last"housing”" fo r"“fi-

nancial"reasons,”"with"38%"unable"to"“afford"rent"or"house"payments”"and"31%"be-

cause"of"a"“[l]ost"job"or"ha[ving]"hours"cut”"by"an"employer)."

." See%id.%(reporting"that"42%"of"“homeless"adults"left"their"last"hou sing”"because"

of"“interpe rso n a l"issues”"such"as"“[p]roblems"getting"along"with"other"people"[they]"

lived"w ith ”"or"a"“[b]reakup"with"spouse"or"partner,”"while"22%"cited"“[a]buse"by"some-

one"in"household”)."

." See%id.%(reporting "that"25% "of"unhouse d"peop le"cited"“fin an c ial"rea so n s"and"

eviction"or"foreclosure,”"and"that"20%"cited"“financial"reasons"and"in t erp e rs on a l" is-

sues”)."

." AHAR,"supra"note"49,"at"2."

536' MINNESOTA'LAW'REVIEW' [106:525!

The!unhoused!population!is!stratified!by!sheltering!status.!“Shel-

tered!homelessness”!covers!individuals!staying!in!emergency!or!tran-

sitional!housing.

!Meanwhile,!unsheltered!unhoused!individuals!are!

people!whose!nighttime!residence!is!not!ordinarily!suited!for!human!

accommodation.

!This!encompasses!unhoused!people!sleeping!in!ve-

hicles,!parks,!or!the!streets!as!well!as!in!certain!public!structures!like!

public! transit! stations! or! in! abandoned! buildings.

! Approximately!

39%! of! unhoused! people! are! unsheltered! nationwide,

! while! esti-

mates! suggest! that! 59%! of! Minnesota’s! unhoused! may! be! unshel-

tered.

The!root!causes!contributing!to!homelessness

!are!deeply!inter-

twined! with! one! another,! often! feeding! back! into! and! exacerbating!

each!other.

!The!coincidence!of!unaffordable!housing!prices!and!in-

come! deficiencies! are! a! major! contributing! factor! to! homelessness,!

with! “56%! of! adults! experiencing! homelessness! [in! Minnesota]! re-

port[ing]!there!was!no!housing!they!could!afford.”

!Major!health!is-

sues!can!be!both!a!cause!and!a!result!of!homelessness.

!Diseases!and!

disorders!“that!cause!a!person!to!become!unemployed,!or!any!major!

illness!that!results!in!massive!healthcare!expenses”

!can!precipitate!

." Id.%at"2."

." Id."at"3;"Homeless"Em ergency"Assistance"and"Rapid"Transition"to"Housing"Act"

of"2009,"Pub."L."No."111-22,"div."B,"§"1003(a)(2),"123"Stat."at"1665."

." See%Homeless"Emergency" Assistance"and"Rapid"Transition" to"Housing"Act"of"

2009,"§"1003(a)(2),"123"Stat."at"1665."

." See% AHAR," supra" note" 49," at" 6" e x h i b it " 1.1" (reporting" that" 2 2 6 ,0 80" out" of"

580,466"unhoused"people"nationwide"w ere"unsheltered)."

." See%WILDER$RSCH.,"supra %note"36,"at"4 "fi g .4 ."

." These"root"causes" include" fin a n cia l"reaso n s,"interp e rso n a l"issues ,"eviction "or"

foreclosure,"and"sa fety "iss u es ."See%supra%notes"50–53"and"accompanying"text."

." See"WILDER$RSCH.,"supra%note"36,"at"35"(“There"is"no"single"cause"of"homeless-

ness,"but"there"are"often"common"and"inter-related"themes"of"economic,"social,"and"

safety"issues".".".".”)."For"example,"a"loss"of"income"m ight"lead"to"tension"in"the"home,"

resulting"in"a"p erson "resorting"to"homelessness"to"escape"domestic"abuse."See%id.%at"36"

(finding"that"“18%"[of"unhoused"Minnesotans]"reported"financial"reasons"and"safety"

issues”"as"the"reason"for"leaving"their"last"hom e).%

." Id."at"37.%

." Comm."on"Health"Care"for"Homeless"People,"Homelessness,%Health,%and%Human%

Needs," INST.$ OF$ MED." 39" (1988)," https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/"

NBK218232/pdf/Bookshelf_NBK218232.pdf"[https://perma.cc/MB2R-8X37]"(“Some"

health" problems"precede" and"causally"contribute"to"homelessness" ." ."."others"are"con-

sequences"of"homelessness".".".".” )."

." Id.%at"40."

2021]' RIGHTS'FOR'UNHOUSED'MINNESOTANS' 537!

an!income!crisis!that!results!in!their!becoming!unhoused.

!Once!un-

housed,!even!minor!issues!affecting!an!individual!can!develop!into!se-

rious!cases!as!a!result!of!a!lack!of! healthcare!and!the!intersectional!

physical!and!mental!complications!of!homelessness.

!Homelessness!

is!also!highly!correlated!with!serious!health!deficiencies.

!As! a!result,!

the!unhoused!population!suffers!from!mortality!rates!roughly!five!to!

ten!times!higher! than! that!of!the! general!population,! depending! on!

age,!sex,!and!sheltering!status.

The!federal!government’s! primary!survey! of!hom elessness,!ad-

ministered! by! the! Department! of! Housing! and! Urban! Development!

(HUD),!estimates!that!nationwide!580,466!individuals!were!unhoused!

on!a!given!night!in!2020.

!These!point-in-time!findings!estimate!that!

4,726!Minnesotans!were!unhoused!on!a!given!night!in!2020.

!How-

ever,!there!are!compelling!reasons!to!believe!that!HUD’s!figures!rep-

resent!a!drastic!underrepresentation!of!the!true!prevalence!of!home-

lessness.

! Wilder! Research’s! 2018! point-in-time! survey! found! an!

." See%supra%notes"60–61"and"accompanying"text."

." See,%e.g.,"Comm."on"Health"Car e "for "Ho meless"Peopl e,"sup ra%note"63,"at"41"(re -

porting"the" case"of"an"unhoused"wom an’s" swo llen" ankles" de veloping" op en" w oun ds,"

which "she"covered"“with"cloth"an d"stockings—enough"to"absorb"the"drainage"but"also"

to"cause"her"to"be"repugnant"to "others"because"of"the"smell”"which"became"infested"

with"maggots"and"required"emergency"room"treatment)."

." See%WILDER$RSCH.,"supra% note"36,"at"23 "(reportin g"that"81%" o f"unhous ed"Min-

neapolitans" suffered" from" at" least"one" of" a" serious"mental" illness," chronic" physical"

health"conditions,"or"a"substance"use"disorder)."

." See%Travis"P."Baggett,"Stephen"W."Hwang,"James"J."O’Connell,"Bianca"C."Porne-

ala,"Erin" J." Stringfellow," E." John"Orav,"Daniel" E." Singer" &"Nancy"A." Rigotti," Mortality%

Among%Homeless%Adults%in%Boston:%Shifts%in% Causes% of%Death%Over%a%15-Year%Period,"173"

JAMA$INTERNAL$MED.$189,$192$tbl.3$(20 13 )$ (reporting"unhoused" mo rtality" rates" by" age "

and"sex);$Jill"S."R o n ca ra ti,"Travis"P."Ba gg e tt,"James"J."O’Connell,"Stephen"W."H wang,"E."

Francis"Cook,"Nancy" Krieger"&"Glorian" Sorensen,"Mortality%Among%Unsheltered%Home-

less%Adults%in%Boston,%Massac h u se t ts ,%200 0-2009,"178"JAMA $INTERNAL$MED.$1242,"1242"

(2018)"(“The" all-cause"mo rtality"rate"for"the"unsheltered"cohort" w as"almo st"10"times"

higher"than"that"of"the"Massachusetts"population".".".".”)."

." AHAR,"supra%note" 49,"at"6."Notab ly ,"HU D’s"co unts"were"conducted"in"January"

2020," before"the"economic"effects"and"related"eviction"moratoria"associated"with"the"

COVID-19"could"impact"homelessness"in"Am erica,"for"good"or"ill."See%id.%

." Id."at"87."

." HUD’s" method ology" has"been" criticized" for"significantly"undercounting" the"

unhoused,"while"W ilder"Research’s"triennial"study"of"homelessness"in"Minnesota"uses"

an"expanded"definition"of"homelessness"which"includes"certain"precariously"housed"

individuals."Darrell"Stan le y,"Don’t%Count%on%It:%H ow %the%HUD%Point-in-Time%Count%Under-

estimates%the% Hom elessness% Crisis%in%America,"NAT’L$L.$CTR. $ON$HOMELESSNESS$&$POVERTY"

15–16" (2017)," https://homelesslaw.org//wp-content/uploads/2018/10/H UD-PIT"

-report2017.pdf" [https://perma.cc/N8U5-K4XG]." When"evaluating"a" measure"to"ad-

dress"homelessness"in"Minnesota,"there"are"compelling"reasons"to"utilize"the"Wilder"

538' MINNESOTA'LAW'REVIEW' [106:525!

actual!count!of!11,323!unhoused!Minnesotans,!with!an!estimated!total!

of!19,582!unhoused!Minnesotans!on!a!given! night!in!2018,!almost!five!

times!higher!than!HUD’s!figures!for!that!same!year.

!Racial! m inorities!

figures."Minnesota" government"entities" have"long"relied"on"the"Wilder"study."See,%e.g.,%

Policy%40:% Homelessness," su pra %note"45."Smudgin g "th e "br ig h t "line "dr a wn" by"HUD"to" in-

clude"those"on"the"precipice"of"becom ing"unhoused"serves"to"support"policy"goals"of"

preventing"homelessness"altogether."In"addition,"HUD"only"reports"the"actual"count"of"

observed"individuals"on"the"date"of"the"study,"while"Wilder"uses"various"estimation"

methodologies" to" account" for" individuals" who" drift" in" and" out" of" homelessness"

throughout"the"year."Compare%AHAR,"supra%note"49,"at"4,"with%WILDER$RSCH.,"su pra%note"

36,"at"50–52."Furthermore,"while"Wilder’s"figures"were "last"collected"in"2018,"they"may"

still"represent"an"undercount."National"homelessness"h as"risen"5% "since"W ilder"last"

conducted" their" study."AHAR," supra% note"49," at" 6" (repor ti n g " counts" of"552,830" un-

housed"people"in"2018"and"580,466"in"2020)."Minnesota’s"rate"of"homelessness"has"

grown"rapidly"despite"nation al"decreases"over"the"same"general"period"of"study."Com-

pare%WILDER$RSCH.,"supra%note"36,"at"2"(reportin g "a"32%"incre a s e"in"count e d "unh o u se d "

people"from"2006"to"2018),"with%AHAR,"supra %note"49,"at"6"(reporting"a"14.6%"decrease"

in"counted" un h ou s ed " p e op l e" fr om"2007" to" 201 8 )." T he re " is" n o " c ompelling" reaso n " to "

think"that"Minneso ta"will"dramatically"deviate"from" th ese"trends,"and"the"n ation al"in-

crease" in" homelessness" since" 2018" portends" very" poorly" for" the" local" incidence" of"

homelessness."As" such," the" Wilder" counts" likely"provide"a"more"accurate"picture"of"

homelessness"in"Minnesota"than"the"AHAR"counts."Unfortunately,"Wilder"is"unlikely"to"

report"updated"figures"until"spring "2023."Compare%Wilder%Research%P ostpones%M inne-

sota% Homeless% Study% Until% 2022," AMHERST$ H.$ WILDER$ FOUND.$ (June" 8," 2021),$

https://www.wilder.org/articles/w ilder-research -postpones-minnesota-homeless"

-study-until-2022" [https://perma.cc/9LSR-SC3D]" (“Wilder" Research" has" decided" to"

postpone"its"2021"triennial"study"of"homelessness"by"one"year."The "study"will"now"take"

place"in"October"2022.”),"with%Single%Night%Count%of%People%Experiencing%Homelessness:%

2018%Minnesota%Homeless%Study%Fact%Sheet,"WILDER$ RSCH.$ 1"(2019),"http://mnhome-

less.org/minnesota - homeless-study/reports-and-fac t-sheets/2018/2018-homeless-

counts-fact-sheet-3-19.pdf" [https://perma.cc/J3Q6"

-EM63]"(reporting"initial"findings"from"the"October"2018"study"in"March"2019)."

." Compare% WILDER$ RSCH.," supra% note" 36," at" 4," with%Meghan"Henry," Anna" Ma-

hathey,"Tyler"Morrill,"Anna"Robinson,"Azim"Shivji"&"Rian"W att,"The%2018%Annual%Home-

less%Ass es sment%Report%(AHAR)%to%Congress:%Part%1:%Poin t-in-Time%Estimates%of%Homeless-

ness,$ U.S.$ DEP’T$ OF$ HOUS.$ &$ URB.$ DEV.$ 87" (2018)," https://www"

.huduser.go v / p o r ta l / si te s / d e fa u l t/ f ile s / p d f/2018-AHAR-Part-1.pdf" [https://"

perma.cc/YNS8-5KXL]"(estimating"a"total"of"3,993"unhoused"Minnesotans"in"2018)."

2021]' RIGHTS'FOR'UNHOUSED'MINNESOTANS' 539!

are!disproportionately!affected!by!homelessness,!particularly!in!Min-

nesota,

!as!a!result!of!the!intersectional!effects!of!systemic!racism.

LGBTQ+!individuals!also!face!a!disproportionately!higher!risk!of!be-

coming!unhoused,

!with!an!even!greater!effect!on!LGBTQ+!youth.

Ultimately,!the!state!of!homelessness!is!predicated!on!not!having!

access!to!fixed!and!adequate!housing.

!Programs!intended!to!provide!

shelter!or!housing!to!unhoused!people!generally!fall!into!three!cate-

gories:!temporary!housing,!permanent!supportive!ho using,!and !hous-

ing!policy.!Temporary!housing!is!the!premier!frontline!measure!in!ad-

dressing! homelessness.! Over! 61%! of! unhoused! people! nationwide!

." For"example,"Black"people"are"12%"of"the"national"population"but"comprise"

42%"of"unhoused"people"in"the"United"States;"in"Minne so ta ,"they"are"6%"of"the"overall"

population" and" 37%" of" unhoused" people." Native" peoples’" national" four-to-one"

overrepresentation" ratio" rises" to" twelve-to-one" in" Minnesota." Compare% Kaya" Lurie,"

Breanne"Schuster"&"Sara"Rankin,"Discrimination%at%the%Margins:%The%Intersectionality%

of%Homelessness%&%Other%Marginalized%Groups,"SEATTLE$UNIV.$SCH.$OF$LAW:$HOMELESS$RTS.$

ADVOC.$ PROJECT" iv% (201 5)," h ttps:// digitalco m m on s.law.sea ttleu.edu /cgi/ "

viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=hrap" [https://perma.cc/XL2H-LY2Q]," with"

WILDER$RSCH.,"supr a%note"36,"at"7."

." See,%e.g.,"Lurie"et"al.,"su pra %note"73,"at" 5 " ( “Racial"minorities"are"disadvantaged"

because"of"poverty,"source"of"income"discrimination,"discriminatory"federal"housing"

programs"and"policies,"and"discriminatory"lending"practices;" all"of" which"are" impacts"

of"systemic"racism." As"a"result" of"such"systemic"racism,"racial"minorities" are" discrimi-

natorily"impacted"by"homelessness.”)."In"particu lar,"Black"M inne sotan s"face"extrem e"

disparities"in"so c ioe co n o m ic "o u tc o m e s."The"Twin"Cities"metropolitan"statistical"area"

(MSA)"has"the"largest"Black-White"homeownership"gap"of"any"Census"MSA"that"has"

over"40,000" Black"residents."Jung" Hyun"Choi,"Alanna"M cCargo,"Michael"Neal,"Laurie"

Goodman"&"Caitlin"Young,"Explaining%the%Black-White%Homeownership%Gap:%A%Closer%

Look% at% Disparities% Across% Local% Markets," URB.$ INST.$ vi" (2019)," https://www"

.urban.org/ s it es / d e fault/files/p u b lic a t io n/101160 / e x p laining_the_"

black-white_homeownership_gap_2.pdf" [https://perma.cc/VWK4-V8K5]."Or"consider"

college"readiness"statistics."Minnesota"is"the"top-ran ked "state"for"read ing"ACT"scores"

and"third-ran ked "for"math"ACT"scores"but"has"the"fifth- "and"second-highest"achieve-

ment" gaps" in" the" country," respectively," between" White" and" Black" students." Rob"

Grunewald"&"Anusha"Nath,$A%Statewide%Crisis:%Minnesota’s%Education%Achiev em ent%Gaps,"

FED.$ RSRV.$ BANK$ OF$ MINNEAPOLIS" 19" fig.15" (2019)," https://www"

.minneapo lis fe d .o r g / ~/media/ a s se t s/ pages/edu c a ti o n-achievement-gaps/"

achievement-gaps-mn-report.pdf"[https://perma.cc/DJY8-3V8X]."

." See% Virginia" Pendleton," Walker" Bosch," Margaret" Vohs," Stephanie" Nelson-

Dusek"&"Michelle"Decker"Gerrard,$Characteristics%of% People%Who%Identify% as%LGBTQ%E x-

periencing% Homelessness," WILDER$ RSCH." i" (20 2 0) ," https://www "

.wilder.org/ s it es / d e fault/files/imports/2018_Homele s sn e s sI n Minnesota _L GBTQ_9-

20.pdf"[https://perma.cc/R25D-PURR]"(reporting"that"11%"of"unhoused"Minnesotans"

identified"as"LGB T Q ,"while"4%"of"M in n es ot an s "ide n tify "a s"L G B T "o ve ra ll) ."

." See%Lurie"et"al.,"supr a%note73,"at"18%(reporting"that"20"to"40%"of"unhoused "

youth"identify"as" LGBTQ,"while"5" to"10%"of"the"general" youth"population"identifies"as"

such)."

." See%AHAR,"supra%note"49"and"accompanying"text."

540' MINNESOTA'LAW'REVIEW' [106:525!

utilize! temporary! housing,! although! that! figure! remains! lower! for!

Minnesota.

!There!are!around!396,000!year-round!temporary!hous-

ing! beds! available! nationwide,! with! another! 36,000! seasonal,! over-

flow,!or!voucher-based!beds.

!Minnesota!has!6,730!temporary!hous-

ing! beds! with! another! 487! seasonal,! overflow,! or! voucher-based!

beds.

!This!inventory!of!temporary!housing!is!grossly!insufficient!to!

meet! national! demand,! with! a! roughly! 26%! shortfall! according! to!

HUD’s!counts.

!This!deficit!is!even!more!severe!in!Minnesota,!where!

there!may!be!almost!three!times!more!unhoused!people!than!tempo-

rary!beds.

When! available,! these! shelters! are! key! resources! for! the! un-

housed,!providing!them!a!relatively!safe!place!to!stay!out!of!the!ele-

ments,!often!with!access!to!meals,!hygiene!supplies!and!facilities,!and!

case!management!personnel.

!Still,!they!are!not!without!limitations.!

Temporary!housing!is!often!designated!for!sole!use!by!specific!subsets!

of!unhoused!people! such!as! single! adults,!families!with! children,!or!

women!escaping!domestic!violence.

!They!may!only!be!open!during!

the!day!or!at!night,!exposing!unhoused!people!to!the!elements!during!

their!unsheltered !time.

!There!may!be!limits!on!the!maximum!length!

of!a!person’s!stay!at!a!shelter.

!The!rules!of!available!shelters!may!not!

." See% AHAR,"supra"note"49,"a t "6" (r e p o r ting"that"61%"of"unhoused"people"were"

sheltered);%WILDER$RSCH.,"supra%note"36,"at"4"fig.4 ."(reporting"that"41%"of"unhou sed"

Minnesotans"for"whom"sheltering"status"was"reported"were"sheltered)."

." HUD%2020%Continuum%of%Care%Homeless%Assistance%Programs%Housing%Inventory%

Count% Report," U.S.$ DEP’T$ OF$ HOUS.$ &$ URB.$ DEV." 1" (2021),"

https://files.hudexchange.info/reports/published/CoC_HIC_NatlTerrDC_2020.pdf"

[https://perma.cc/68UR -A6C5]."

." Id.%at"13."

." Compare%supra" note"79"and" accompanying"text,"with%supra%note"69"and"ac-

companying"text."

." Compare%supra%note"80%and"accompanying"text,"with%supra"note"72"and"ac-

companying"text."

." See,%e.g.,"Ramsey%County%Homeless%Shelters%and%Referral%Information,$RAMSEY$

CNTY.$ 1$ (2019),$ https://www.ramseycounty.us/sites/"

default/files/Work%20with%20Ramsey/Homeless%20shelters%20Rev-2.pdf"

[https://perma.cc/4UJ7- 3LW 6]."

." See,% e.g.," Emergency% Shelters," ME.$ HOUS.," https://ww w.maineho u s in g.org/"

programs-services/homeless/emergency-shelters" [https://perma.cc/HR2U-RNKM]"

(listing"emergency" shelters"available" in" M aine" by"the"subset" of" the"population" they"

serve)."

." See%Ramsey%County%Homeless%Shelters%and%Referral%Information,$supra%note"83,"

at"1."

." See,%e.g.,"How%Long%Can%You%Stay%at%a%Homeless%Shelter?,"STREETWORKS$(Feb."18,"

2014)," https://www.streetworksmn.org/how-long-can-you-stay-at-a-homeless"

-shelter"[https://perma.cc/UQC2-TH3T]"(“Some"shelters"can"only"provide"a"3-5"day"

2021]' RIGHTS'FOR'UNHOUSED'MINNESOTANS' 541!

fit!a!given!person’s!needs,

!or!the!conditions!of!their!stay!might!be!

unacceptable!to! them .

!Furthermore! drug!or!alcohol!use!can!disqual-

ify!an!unhoused!person!from!“attaining!and!maintaining!housing,”

which! may! further! reduce! access! to! temporary! housing! for! a! large!

number!of!highly!vulnerable!unhoused!people:!those!suffering!from!

substance-use!disorders.

!Still,!the!300%!disparity!in!mortality!rates!

between!sheltered! and!unsheltered!unhoused!people!makes! a!com-

pelling!argument!for!the!efficacy!of!shelters!at!keeping!unhoused!peo-

ple!alive.

Transitional!housing!allows!individuals!to!live!independently,!is!

heavily!subsidized!by!state!and!HUD!grants,!and!often!provides!sup-

portive!services!to!identify!and!meet!the!various!needs!of!residents.

This!allows!individuals!to!stabilize!their!lives!by!“maintaining!stable!

stay."30"days" is"more"common." A fter"that"time,"the"staff"will"usua lly"review"you r"case,"

and"either"extend"or"end"your"stay.”)."

." See%The%Emergency%Shelter%Learning%Series,"NAT’L$ALL.$TO$END$HOMELESSNESS$21"

(2017)," https://endhomelessness.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Emergency"

-Shelter-Role-of-Shelter_Webpage.pdf" [https://perm a.cc/ H7 BJ-KXF4]" (reporting" the"

results"of"a"survey"of"unhoused"people"with"23% "saying"they"avo ided"shelters"because"

they"could"not"stay" with "their" pa rtner"or"family" and "19%"because"there" w as"nowhere"

to"store"their"belongings)."In"addition,"up"to"25 % "of"unhoused"people"m ay"have"pets"

and"over"90%"of"those"people"“said"that"hou sing" w ould" not" be "acce ptab le"if"p ets"w ere "

not"allowed,”"but" most"shelters"do"not"allow"pets"inside."See" Zanna" Shafer,"Home%Is%

Where%the%Dog%Is:%A%Discussion%of%Homeless%People%and%Their%Pets,"23 "ANIMAL$L.$141,"143,"

150"(2016)"(citations"om itted)."

." See%id."(reporting"the"results"of"a"survey"of"unho used "people"with"37%"saying"

they"avoided"shelters"beca use"they"were"“too"crowded,”"30%"because"of"“bugs,”"and"

28%"because"there"“[t]here"are"too"many"rules”)."

." See%Susan"E."Collin s,"Seema"L."Clifasefi,"Elizabeth"A."Dana,"Michele"P."Andrasik,"

Natalie"Stahl,"Megan" Kirouac,"Callista"Welbaum,"Margaret"King" &" Daniel" K."Malone,"

Where%Harm%Reduction%Meets%Housing%First:%Exploring%Alcohol’s%Role%in%a%Project-Based%

Housing%First%Setting,"23"INT’ L$J.$DRUG$POL’Y"111,"112"(2012)"(discussing"the"“ wet”"shel-

ter"mode l,"which"permits" alco hol"and/or"drug"consumption,"and" th e"advantages"it" of-

fers"certain"unhoused"populations,"including"th e"need"to"avoid"m ed ica lly "dangerous"

withdrawal"symptoms)."

." See%WILDER$RSCH.,"supra%note"36,"at"v"(reporting"that"2 4 %"of"unh o used"Minne-

sotans"suffer"from"a"substance"use"disorder).%

." See%Roncarati"et"al.,"supra%note"68,"at"124 2 "("“[T]he"all-cause"mortality"rate"for"

the"unsheltered"coh ort" w as"."."."nearly"3"times"higher"than"that"of"the"[sheltered]"adult"

homeless"cohort".".".".”)."

." See,%e.g.,%MINN.$STAT.$§$256E.33$subdiv."1,"§§"(b)–(c)"(2021)"(defining"transi-

tional"housing"and"providing"such"examples"of"supp ortive"services"as"“educational,"so-

cial,"legal," advoca cy,"child" care,"employment,finan c ial,"health "care,"or"informa tio n"and "

referral"services”)."

542' MINNESOTA'LAW'REVIEW' [106:525!

housing!and!treating!substance!abuse”

!and!is!generally!intended!to!

facilitate! a! move! to! permanent!housing!within! two! years.

! Studies!

show!that! transitional!housing! provides!for!a!“higher!probability!of!

regular! employment”! and,! perhaps! most! importantly,! appears! to!

greatly! reduce! the! likelihood! of! future! homelessness.

! Permanent!

Supportive!Housing!(PSH)!is!a!form!of!subsidized,!indefinite!housing!

intended!for!the!chronically!unhoused .

!“PSH!has!emerged!as!the! pre-

ferred!intervention!for!addressing!chronic!homelessness,”

!and!there!

is! strong! evidence!for!both!its! effectiveness! and! efficiency! in! doing!

so.

Unfortunately,!housing!options!are!only!as!helpful!as!their!avail-

ability!permits.!The!national!temporary!housing!deficit

!means!that!

shelters!in!many!cities!are!filled!to!capacity!every!night,

100

!while!tran-

sitional! housing! and! PSH! providers! have! long! waitlists! of! appli-

cants.

101

." Martha"K."Burt,$Life%After%Transitional%Housing%for%Homeless%Families,$U.S.$DEP’T$

OF$ HOUS.$ &$ URB.$ DEV.$ OFF.$ OF$ POL’Y$ DEV.$ &$ RSCH.$ iii" (2010)," https://ww w"

.huduser.go v / p o r ta l / p u b l ic a ti o n s / L ife AfterTransit io n .p df" [http s:/ / perma.cc/BVP2"

-VQ5J]."

." See%24"C.F.R."§"578.3"(2021)."

." See%Burt,$sup ra%note$93,%at" iii" (“Only" four"of" the"[179]"families"w ith" 12-month"

interviews"bec ame"homeless"within"the"year"fo ll owing"[transition a l"h o u sin g ].” )."

." See%Defining%and%Funding%the%Support%in%Permanent%Supportive%Housing,"CORP.$

FOR$ SUPPORTIVE$ HOUS." 2" (2008)," https://www.csh.org/wp-content/"

uploads/2011/12/Report_HealthCentersRcs2.pdf" [https://perma.cc/CU4X -GR35]."

Chronically"unhoused"people"are"in d ivid u a ls "with"a"disab il ity "who"have"“been"contin-

uously"homeless"for" one"year"or"more"or" ha[ve]"experienced" at"least"four" episodes"of"

homelessness"in"the" last"three"years”"totaling"tw elv e"months."AHAR," supra"note"49," a t "

2."

." Thomas"Byrne,"Jamison"D."Fargo,"Ann"Elizabeth"Montgomery,"Ellen"Munley"&"

Dennis"P."Culhane,"The%Relationship%Between%Community%Investment%in%Permanent%Sup-

portive%Housing%and%Chronic%Homelessness,"88"SOC.$SERV.$REV."234,"236"(2014)."

." Id.%(“Studies"have"consistently"shown"that"2-year"housing"retention"rates"in"

PSH" are"above"80"percent"and"that" the"cost"of"providing" PSH"to"chronically" hom eless"

people"can"be"partially"or"completely"offset"by"reductions"in"their"use"of"."."."public"ser-

vices"following"placement"in"housing.”).%

." See%supra%notes"81–82"and"accompanying"text."

100

." See,%e.g.,"Jessica"Lee,"Hennepin%County%Looks%at%Expanding%Shelter%Options%to%

Address% Growing% Homeless% Populations," M IN NPOST$ (Oct." 11," 2019)," https://w w w "

.minnpost.c o m/metro/ 2 0 1 9 / 10/hennep i n-county-looks-at-expand ing-shelter-op-

tions-to-address-growing-homeless-populations"[https://perma.cc/DKN2-Q66U]"(re-

porting"that"Hennepin"County’s" e m ergency "shelters"are"“very" close"to" a"hundred"per-

cent"utilization"on"a"daily"basis”)."

101

." See,%e.g.,%Higher%Ground%Minneapolis%Residence,"CATH.$CHARITIES$OF$ST.$PAUL$&$

MINNEAPOLIS," https://www.cctwin c it ie s .o rg/location s/ h i g h e r-ground-housing"

2021]' RIGHTS'FOR'UNHOUSED'MINNESOTANS' 543!

Creative! non-shelter! housing! arrangements! have! been! enter-

tained!by!sta tes,!localities,!and!nonprofits!to!fill!the!gaps!in!short-!and!

long-term! needs.

102

! These! programs! are! limited! in! scope,! however,!

and! only! serve! to! meet! demand,! not! prevent! it.! All! of! these! strate-

gies—from!multibillion-dollar!HUD!grants!to!a!$5!bill!handed!to!some-

one!on!the!median!strip!at!the!intersection!of!Cedar!and!Franklin!Av-

enues—are!bottom-up!solutions! meant! to! palliate!the!symptoms! of!

homelessness.!Treating!the! underlying!root!causes!of!homelessness!

through!progress ive!housing!policy!could!prevent!homelessness!alto-

gether.!

No! discussion! of! homelessness! could! be! complete! without! a!

broad!contemplation!of!housing!policy.!Then!again,!no!discussion!of!

housing!policy!could! ever!be!complete!at!all.! Countless!words—schol-

arly,

103

!legislative,

104

!and!informal

105

—have!been!spilled!concerning!

“the!actions!of!government!.!.!.!which!have!a!direct!or!indirect!impact!

on!housing!supply!and!availability,!housing!standards! and!urban!plan-

ning.”

106

!This!Note!has!and!will!tread!on!issues!of!housing!policy,!but!

its!focus!lies!elsewhere.!Other!sources!have!expertly!addressed!hous-

[https://perma.cc/69EX -66Z4]" (discussing"wait-list"proc ed ur es" a t" a " su p po rtive " h ou s-

ing"provider)."

102

." See,% e.g.," Encampments," supra% note" 12" (discussing" city-permitted" encamp-

ments"for"the"unhoused"in" parks,"along" with"agency"expenditures"to"provide"hygiene"

facilities" and " site"maintenance);" Amy"Pollard," More% Americans%Are%Sleeping%in% Their%

Cars% than% Ever% Before.% Should% Cities% M ak e% Space% for% Them?," SLATE" (Aug." 20," 2018),"

https://slate.com/business/2018/08/vehicular-hom elessness-is-on-th e-rise-should"

-cities-help-people-sleep-in-their-cars.html" [https://perma.cc/EN8N-9878]"(discuss-

ing"a "parkin g "lot" run"by" a"nonprofit"in"San"D iego"where"unhoused"people"can"sleep" in"

their"cars,"with"access"to"case"manageme nt"resourc es"and "bath room "facilities)."

103

." See,%e.g.,% HOUS.$ POL’Y$ DEBATE,$vols."1–31"(1990–2021)"(providing"over" three"

decades"of"analysis"and"scholarly"innovation"on"housing"policy)."

104

." See,% e.g.," Search," CONGRESS.GOV," https://www.congress.gov/search" (limiting"

search" to" “Legislation;”" then" filtering" “Congress”" by" “Check" all”;" then " filt e rin g " “Bill"

Type”"by"“Bills"(H.R."or"S.)”;"then"filtering" “Subject"—" Policy"Area”"by"“Housing"and"

Community"Development”)"(last"visited"Oct."18,"2021)"(reporting"3 ,626"housing"policy"

bills"introduced"to"Congress"since"1973).""

105

." See,% e.g.," Reed" (@ree d m)," TWITTER$ (July" 28," 2019)," https://"

twitter.com/reedm/statu s/11 557 03 155 058 806 78 4" [https://perma.cc/48G 9-4FL2]"

(“Housing"Twitter"drives"me"nuts" because"everyone" is" always"angry,"everyone"thinks"

they"know"everything," every one "is"hypocritical,"and"every one "thinks"anyo ne"who" dis-

agrees"with"them"on"any"aspect"is"the"dumbest"person"alive.”)."

106

." Housing% Policy," HOMELESS$ HUB,$ https://www.homelesshub.ca/solutions/"

affordable-housing/housing-policy"[https://perma.cc/XU8K-Y7HA]."

544' MINNESOTA'LAW'REVIEW' [106:525!

ing!policy’s!effects!on!low-income!Minnesotans!at!risk!of!becoming!un-

housed.

107

! The! UBR! proposed! by! this! Note! will! address! other! vital!

needs!of!the!unhoused,

108

!working!in!concert!with!progressive!hous-

ing!policy!to!combat!homelessness!from!both!the!top!down!and!the!

bottom!up.!Housing!policy!is!one!of!the!most!powerful!long-term!so-

lutions! for! ending! homelessness,

109

! but! this! Note! is! primarily! con-

cerned!with!the!unconstitutional!and!inhumane!conditions!individu-

als! suffer! while! unhoused.! The! poor! treatment! of! unhoused!

individuals!under!our!system!of!laws!demands!that!Minnesota!act!to!

protect!their!fundamental!rights!by!providing!increased!access!to!the!

litigation!which!can!vindicate!those!rights!and!win!remedies!for!viola-

tions!thereof.!

B.! HOMELESSNESS"AND"THE"LAW!

Local!government!policies!punishing!homelessness!are!as!old!as!

the!United!States!itself.

110

!While!these!laws!have!evolved

111

!over!the!

years,

112

! their! goal! is!ever!the!same:! to! make! a! “‘quick-fix’! that! ad-

dresses!the!visible!symptoms!of!homelessness!but!not!its!underlying!

107

." See,%e.g.,"Myron"Or fi el d ,"Will"Stancil,"Thomas"Luce"&"Eric"M y o tt ,"High%Costs%and%

Segregation%in%Subsidized%Housing%Policy,"25$HOUS.$POL’Y$DEBATE"574,"574"(2015)"(“The"

analysis"concludes"that"current"policies"are"clearly"not"meeting"the"[Twin"Cities’]"re-

sponsibility"to"a ffirmativ ely"further"fair"housing."The"metropolitan"area"abandoned"its"

role"as"a"national"leader"in"this"area"decades"ago.”)."

108

." The" proposed" law" provides" for" personal" hygiene" centers," which" could" im-

prove"the"health"and"employment"outcomes"of"unhoused"people,"and"free"storage"of"

personal"property,"which"could"prevent"the"loss"of"belongings"important"to"the"practi-

cal"and"dignitary"interests"of"the"unhoused."See%infra%notes"358–63"and"accompanying"

text."

109

." See% Proven% Solutions," COAL.$ FOR$ THE$ HOMELESS,$ https://www"

.coalitionfor thehomeles s.o r g / p r o v e n-solutions" [https://perma.cc/5W4T-CJTN]"

(“[R]esearch"a nd"experience"ha ve"overwhelmingly"shown"tha t" inv estm e nts"in"perma-

nent"housing"are"extraordinarily"effective"in"reducing"homelessness".".".".”)."

110

." See,% e.g.,% KRISTIN$ O’BRASSILL-KULFAN,$ VAGRANTS$ AND$ VAGABONDS$ 21" (2019)"

(“Since"1771,"the"[Philadelphia"municipal]"legislature"had"tasked"this"force"with"ap-

prehending"‘all"night"walkers,’"‘ vagab onds,’"and"anyone"found"‘disturbing"the"peace.’”)."

111

." See,% e.g.," Papachristo u " v." City" of" Jackso n v ille ," 405" U.S." 156," 1 5 6 " n.1" (1971)%

(“Jacksonville "Ordinance"Cod e"§"26-57"provided"."."."‘Rogues"and"vagabonds,"or"disso-

lute"persons"w h o" go"about"begging"."."."shall"be"punished’"."."."." by"90"days’"imprison-

ment,"$500"fine,"or"both.”)."

112

." See,%e.g.,"Martin"v ."City"of"Boi se ,"902"F.3d"1 0 31,"10 3 5"(9th "Cir."2018)"(“Boise"

City"Code"."."."makes"it"a"misdemeanor" to"use"‘any"of"the"streets,"sidewalks,"parks,"or"

public"places"as"a"camping"place"at"any"time.’”)."

2021]' RIGHTS'FOR'UNHOUSED'MINNESOTANS' 545!

causes.”

113

!Courts!have!often!found!these!anti-unhoused!laws!uncon-

stitutional,

114

!but!cities!continue!to!enact!them!unabated.

115

!This!Sec-

tion!will!discuss!the!legal!corpus!that!particularly!relates!to!unhoused!

people.!Subsection!1!provides!a!brief!overview!of!laws!criminalizing!

homeless.!Subsection!2!discusses!judicial! application!of!constitutional!

principles!to!such!laws.!!

1.! Laws!Targeting!the!Unhoused!

Colonial! Era!anti-vagrancy!statutes!“meted!out!punishments! to!

vagrants! and! indigent! transients”! in! order! to! provide! free! labor! to!

their!communities.

116

!Eventually,!these!laws!were!used!to!collect!and!

remit!fugitives!from!slavery

117

!as!well!as!“to!stem!the!tide!of!fugitive!

slaves!.!.!.!.!thus!freeing!the!overseers!of!the!poor!from!providing!for!

them.”

118

! After! the! Civil! War,! states! adapted! these! measures! into!

“stringent!laws!to!control”!free!Black!people.

119

!Such!laws!were!rarely!

“challenged!on!constitutional!grounds!.!.!.!.!in!part!fro m!the!inability!of!

vagrancy!d efendants!to!secure!counsel.

120

!The!Supreme! Court’s!ruling!

in!Gideon' v.'Wainwright!changed!that,!however,!by! guaranteeing!all!

113

." Foscarinis"et"al.,"supra%note"23,"a t "1 4 7 ."

114

." See,%e.g.,"Papachristou,"40 5 "U.S ."a t"16 2" (c it a t io n "omitted)"(hold in g "a n "an t i-va-

grancy"law"unconstitutional"because"“it"‘fails"to"giv e"a"person"."."."fair"notic e"that"his"

contemplated"conduct"is"forbidden"under"the"statute,’"."."."and"because"it"encourages"

arbitrary"and"erratic"arrests"and"convictions.”);"Martin,"902"F.3d"at"1 049"(holding"that"

an"anti-camping"ordinance"cannot"constitutionally"criminalize"“such"behav ior"consist-

ently"with"the"Eighth"Amendment"when"no"sleeping"space"is"practically"available"in"

any"shelter.”).%

115

." See,%e.g.,%Housing%Not%Handcuffs%2019:%Ending%the%Criminalization%of%Homeless-

ness% in% U.S.% Cities$ ,$ NAT’L$ L.$ C TR.$ ON$ HOMELESSNESS$ &$ POVERTY$ 13" (2019)" [hereinafter"

Housing% Not% Handcuffs]," http://nlchp.org/wp-content/"

uploads/2019/12/HOUSING-NOT-HANDCUFFS-2019-FINAL.pdf"

[https://perma.cc/3L55-XW63]" (finding" a" nationwide" 103%" increase" in" municipal"

anti-vagrancy"laws"from"2006"to"2019)."

116

." See% O’BRASSILL-KULFAN,$ supra% note" 110," at" 21," 11 4 " (discussi n g " early" nine-

teenth-century"laws"which"“criminalized"the"subsistence"m ethods"of"the"poor"and"m i-

grant”" in"order" to" supply " free" l ab o r," which" was" “viewed" ‘as" a" common" resource" to"

which"the"community"had"rights’”).%

117

." See% id.! at" 89" (“[F]ugitive" slaves" were" often" incarcerated"."."." while" awaiting"

transportation"back"to"their"place"of"enslavem ent" ." .".".”)."

118

." Id.!at"89–90."

119

." See%DOUGLAS$A.$BLACKMON,$SLAVERY$BY$ANOTHER$NAME$76–77$ (2009 )$ (quotin g"

an"1865"letter"from"a"“South"Carolin a"planter”).%

120

." Robin"Yeamans,"Constitutional%Attacks%on%Vagrancy%Laws,"20"STAN.$L.$REV."782,"

783"(1968)."

546' MINNESOTA'LAW'REVIEW' [106:525!

criminal!defendants!the!right!to!counsel.

121

!Eventually,!the!Court!dealt!

a!major! blow!to!vagrancy!laws!in!Papachristou'v.'City'of'Jacksonville.

122

That!case!articulated!the!“void!for!vagueness”!rule!which!renders!un-

constitutional!a!law!that!“fails!to!give!a!person!of!ord in a r y !intelligence!

fair!notice!that!his!contemplated!conduct!is!forbidden!by!the!statute”!

and!“encourages!arbitrary!and!erratic!arrests!and!convictions.”

123

!The!

doctrine!set!forth!in!Papachristou'continues!to!militate!against!open-

ended!vagrancy!measures!decades!after!the!fact.

124

Since! Papachristou,! cities! have! regulated! unhoused! people! by!

adopting!narrow!measures!targeted!at!specific!conduct!that!have!the!

effect!of!criminalizing!homelessness.!These!laws!“criminalize!home-

lessness! by! making! illegal! those! basic! acts! that! are! necessary! for!

life.”

125

!Modern!anti-unhoused!laws!take!a!variety!of!forms,!but!they!

all!converge!on!a!common !purpose:!“to!move!visibly!homeless!people!

out!of!commercial!and!tourist!districts!or!.!.!.!entire!cities.”

126

!Some!of!

the!most!commonly!criminalized!acts!are!the!public!performance!of!

121

." See%372"U.S."335,"344"(1963)"(“The"right"of"one"charged"with"crime"t o"counsel"

may"not"be"deemed"fundamental"and"essential"to"fair"trials"in"some"countries,"but"it"is"

in"ours.”)."

122

." See%Papachristou" v."City" of"Jacksonville,"405" U.S."156," 162"(1971)" (relying" on"

due-process"grounds"to"set"a"test"for"invalidating"o ve r-broad"anti-vagrancy"laws).%

123

." Id.%(first"quoting"United"States"v."Harriss,"347"U.S."612,"617"(1954);"then"citing"

Thornhill"v."Alabama," 310"U.S."88"(1940);" then"citing"Herndon"v." Lowry,"301"U.S."242"

(1937))."

124

." See,%e.g.,"City"of"Chicago" v."M orales,% 527"U.S."41,"47"&"n.2,"64"(1999)"(Stevens,"

J.)"(plurality"opinion)"(citing"Papachristou"to"strike"dow n"a n"o rdina nce" w hich"a llow ed"

police" officers"to"issue" dispersal"orders"to"any"“person"w hom"he"reasonably"believes"

to"be"a"criminal"street"gang"member"loitering"in"any"public"place”)."

125

." No%Safe%Place:%The%Criminalization%of%Homelessness%in% U.S.%Cities,$NAT’L$L.$CTR.$

ON$ HOMELESSNESS$ &$ POVERTY$ 12$ (2014)$ [hereinafter" No% Safe% Place],$

https://nlchp.org/documents/No_Safe_Place"[https://perma.cc/A4UM - XV5S]."

126

." Id."

2021]' RIGHTS'FOR'UNHOUSED'MINNESOTANS' 547!

camping,

127

!sleeping,

128

!begging,

129

!and !sitting!or!lying!down.

130

!Cities!

also!commonly!ban!sleeping!in!vehicles,

131

!while!a!less!common!form!

of! law! bans! sharing! food! with! unhoused! people.

132

! Such! anti-un-

housed!laws!are!incredibly!common!and!the!use!of!such!laws!has!in-

creased! dramatically! over! the! past! decade.

133

! These! measures! can!

have!an!incredibly!destructive!effect!on!unhoused!people,!with!fines!

and!criminal!penalties!perpetuating!a!cycle!of!homelessness.

134

127

." See,%e.g.,"PORTLAND,$OR.,"CITY$CODE$tit."14,"ch."14A.50.020,"§§"A–B"(2020)"(pro-

hibiting" the" occupancy" of" “any" place" where" any" bedding" ."."." or" any" stove" or" fire" is"

placed”"on"“any"public"property”"“for"the"purpose"of"establishing"o r"maintaining"a"tem-

porary"place"to"live”)."

128

." See,% e.g.,"BAKERSFIELD,$CAL.,$MUN.$CODE$tit."9," §"9.70.010(B)"(2021)"(“[I]t"is"un-

lawful"for"any"person:"."."."[t]o"s leep"out"of"doors"on"any"pu blic"property"."."."between"

sunset"and"sunrise.”)."

129

." See,% e.g.," MINNEAPOLIS,$ MINN.,$ CODE$ OF$ ORDINANCES$ tit." 15," ch." 385,"

§"385.60(b)(1),"(c)"(2021)"(imposing"restrictions"on"“any"plea"made"in"person"where:"

."."."[a]"person"by"vocal"appeal"requests"an"immediate "donation "of"money"or"other"item"

from"another"person”)."

130

." See,% e.g.," LAS$ VEGAS,$ NEV.,$ CODE$ OF$ ORDINANCES$ tit." 10," div." X," ch." 10.86,"

§"10.86.010(A)–(B)" (2021 )" (making" it" unlawful" for" a" person" to" “[s]it" or" lie" down ”"

within"“th e"full"width"o f"any"dedicated"street,"alley,"or"highway,"inc luding "any"public"

sidewalk”)."

131

." See,%e.g.,"LOS$ANGELES,$CAL.,$MUN.$CODE$ch."VIII,"§"80.00,"div."Q,"§"85.02(A)"(2021)"

(making"it"unlawful"to"“use"a" Vehicle"for"Dwelling"."."."[b]e tw een"the"hou rs"of"9:00"PM "

and"6:00"AM"on"any"Residential"Street”)."

132

." See,% e.g.," ORLANDO,$ FLA.,$ CODE$ OF$ ORDINANCES$ ch." 18A," §" 18A.09-2(a)" (2021)"

(making"it"unlawful,"except"with"city"approval,"“to"know ingly"sponsor,"con duc t,"or"par-

ticipate"in"the"distribution"or"service"of"food "at"a "large" group "feeding" at"a "park "or" park"

facility"owned"or"co n tro lled "b y"th e "City”)."

133

." A" survey" of"187"cities"found"that" a"supermajority"had"at"least"one"law"crimi-

nalizing"homelessness."Between"2013"and"2019,"those"cities"saw"a"92%"increase"in"

anti-camping"laws,"a"78% "increase"in" anti-sitting"or"lying"down"laws,"and"a"103%"in-

crease"in"anti-begging"laws.%See$Housing%Not%Handcuffs,"supra"note"115,"at"12–13."

134

." See%id."at"64"(“In"this"way,"an"arrest"or"conviction"can"create"a"lifelong"barrier"

to"obtaining" employm ent" ."."."."Criminal"convictions,"even" for" minor" crimes," can"also"

make"someone"ineligible"for"federally "s u bs id ize d"h o u sin g .” );"cf.%Lucius"Couloute,"No-

where%to%Go:%Homelessness%Among%Formerly%Incarcerated%People,"P RISON$POL’Y$INITIATIVE$

(Aug." 2018)," https://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/housing.html"

[https://perma.cc/S33J-Q4VA]"(“[F]orm e rly"incarcerated"people"are"almost"10"times"

more"likely"to"be"homeless"than"the"general"public.”)."

548' MINNESOTA'LAW'REVIEW' [106:525!

Minneapolis!and!St.!Paul!are!home!to!at!least!fourteen!anti-un-

housed!laws,

135

!while!cities!throughout!Minnesota!maintain!a!pleth-

ora! of! ordinances! criminalizing! homelessness.

136

! These! laws! perse-

cute! the! state’s! most! vulnerable! residents! in! the! name! of! “the!

protection!and!preservation!of![public]!property!.!.!.!and!for!the!safety!

and!general!welfare!of!the!public.”

137

!This!exclusion!of!unhoused!peo-

ple!from!“the!public”!violates!their!constitutional!rights

138

!and!betrays!

the!true!goal!of!those!cities:!to!use!“the!criminal!justice!system!in!an!

effort!to!drive!homeless!people!from!their!streets.”

139

!A!bill!of!rights!

for!unhoused!Minnesotans!could!provide!better!enforcement!against!

the!unconstitutional!criminalization!of!homelessness,! forcing!cities!to!

135

." See$Housing%Not%Handcuffs,"supra"note"115,"at "113 ."So me"of"these"laws,"“while"

not"facially"discriminatory,"could"be"or"have"been"enforced"in"a"manner"that"dispro-

portionately" affects"homeless"individuals.”"No%Safe%Place,$supra%note"125,"at"4 6 ."Anti-

unhoused"measures"in"the"Twin"Cities"include"the"following:"MINNEAPOLIS,$MINN.,$CODE$

OF$ORDINANCES$tit."12,"ch."244,"art."I,"§"244.60(a)"(2021)"(pro hib iting"camping"on"public"

property"citywide);"id .%(p roh ibiting"slee ping "in"ve hicles"o n"p ublic"p rop erty);"id."tit."18 ,"

ch."478,"art."I,"§."478.90"(restricting"parking" in"certain"places" and"at" certain" times);"id.%

tit."15,"ch."385,"§"385.60(b)(1),"(c)"(prohibiting"begging"in"certain"places"and"in"certain"

manners);" id.% tit." 11," ch." 22 7," art." II," §" 227.180" (prohibiting" public" urination);"

MINNEAPOLIS,$MINN.,$PARK$&$RECREATION$BOARD$OF$ORDINANCES"ch."4,"art."VI,"§"PB4-118"

(prohibiting"“[c]amping,"cooking,"and"living”"on"the"shore"of"the"Mississippi"River);"ST.$

PAUL,$MINN.,$CODE$OF$ORDINANCES$tit."XV,"ch."157,"§"157.03"(2021)"(restricting"p arking"

in"certain"places"and"a t"certain"times);" id .%tit."XII,"ch ." 1 11 ," § "111.01"(proh ibiting"stand-

ing"or"con g reg a tin g "on"sidewalks "“as" to"unnecessarily"interfere"with"the"free" passage"

of"pedestrians”);"id.%tit."XXVIII,"ch."280,"§"280.01"(prohibiting"“lurking,”"such"as"“l[ying]"

in"wait"."."."with"intent"to"do"any"mischief”);"id.%tit."XXVIII,"ch."2 80,"§"280.06"(prohibiting"

“loiter[ing]"about"the"stree ts"afte r"mid n ight ”);%id.%tit."XXVIII,"ch."280,"§"280.07"(prohib-

iting" sle ep in g " on"another’s" private"premises" without" permission);"id.% tit." XXVIII,"ch."

280,"§"280.08"(prohibiting"public"urination);%id.%tit."XXVIII,"ch."2 82,"§"282.01"(prohibit-

ing"begging"in "ce rta in "p la ce s"a n d "in "ce rta in "m a n n e rs) ;"id.%tit."XXVIII,"ch."282,"§"282 .02–

.03"(imp o sing"a"citywide"ban"on" b egging"house-to-house,"or"so"as"to"“stop"and"annoy"

people"upon"the"streets”)."This"is"not"an"exclusive"list,"as"there"are"likely"m an y"more"

laws"within"the"Tw in" Cities"which"could"fail"the "void-for-vagueness"test"set"forth"in"

Papachristou."See%supra%notes" 122–24"and"accompanying"text."

136

." See,%e.g.,"BROOKLYN$PARK,$MINN.,$CODE$OF$ORDINANCES$tit."IX,"ch."95,"§"95.06(A)"

(2021)" (“It"shall"be"unlawful" for"any"person "to:"."."."[c]am p "in"a"park"without"a"written"

city"permit.”);"ST.$CLOUD,$MINN.,$CODE$OF$ORDINANCES$ch."II,"§"236:65,"subdiv."5"(2021)"

(“No"persons"[in"a"park]"will"set"up"tents,"shacks,"or"any"other" temporary"shelter"for"

the"purpose"of"overnight"camping ". ".".".”)."

137

." BROOKLYN$PARK,$MINN.,$CODE$OF$ORDINANCES$tit."IX ,"c h."95,"§"95.01(A)"(2021);"

see%also%ST.$CLOUD,$MINN.,$CODE$OF$ORDINANCES$ch."II," §"236:14" (2021)"(empowering"the"

city"to"regulate"public"parks"“co nsistent"with"the"nature"of"the"facility"and"the"safety"of"

the"public"and"property”)."

138

." See%infra%Part"I.B.2."

139

." Foscarinis"et"al.,"supra%note"23,"a t "1 4 7 ."

2021]' RIGHTS'FOR'UNHOUSED'MINNESOTANS' 549!

take!responsibility!for!addressing!homelessness!within!their!borders!

rather!than!push!the!problem!out!of!sight.

140

2.! The!Constitutional!Canon!of!Homelessness!

Unhoused!people!are!imbued!with!the!same!fundamental!rights!

as!any!other!American,

141

!even!if!they!face!practical!barriers!to!the!en-

joyment! of! those! rights.

142

! This! Subsection! will! examine! jurispru-

dence!on!the!constitutional!rights!of!the!unhoused.!These!fundamen-

tal!rights!argue!for!the!invalidation!of!most!anti-unhoused!laws,!and!

they!provide!firm!grounds!for!the!codification!of!such!protections!in!

an!Unhoused!Bill!of!Rights.!

Supreme!Co urt!void-for-vagueness!due!process!doctrine,!laid!o ut!

by!Papachristou,!likely!invalidates!a!great!number!of!laws!criminaliz-

ing! homelessness.! An! ordinance! is! void! for! vagueness! when! “it! en-

courages!arbitrary!and!erratic!arrests!and!convictions.”

143

!Arbitrary!

enforcement!is!at!the!core!of!almost!every!modern!anti-unhoused!law.!

It!is!difficult!to!imagine!the!Boston!Police!Department!arresting!a!well-

dressed!college!couple!lying!together!on!a!bench!in!Boston!Common!

140

." See"Loper"v."N.Y.C."Police"Dep’t,"802"F.Supp."1029,"1046"(S.D.N.Y."1992)"(“The"

root"cause"[of"homelessness]"is"not"served"by"removing"[unhoused"people]"from"sight,"

however;"society"is"then"just"able"to"pretend"they"do"not"exist"a "little"longer.”);"see,%e.g.,"

infra%note"318"(discussing"the"common"practice"of"cities"paying"for"bus"tickets"to"relo-

cate"unhoused"people"out"of"their"jurisdiction)."

141

." See%generally%U.S.$CONST.$amends."V,"XIV."

142

." The" high"rates"of" m ental"illness,"serious"physical" health"conditions,"and"sub-

stance" abuse" disorders" among " unhoused" people" may" require" non-traditional," re-

source-intensive"lawyering."Compare%WILDER$RSCH.,"supra%note" 36,"at"23"(finding"that"

“81%" [of" unhoused" Minnesotans]" have" a"chronic"physical" health" condition,"serious"

mental"illness,"or"substance"use"disorder,”"and"that"50%"have"multiple"chronic"health"

conditions),"with%Jonathan"L."Hafetz,"Homeless%Legal%Advocacy:%New%Challenges%and%Di-

rections%for%the%Future,"30"FORDHAM$URB.$L.J.$1215,$1216$(2 003 )$(arguing"“that"legal"ad-

vocacy"works"best"w hen"combined"with"a"holistic"approach"that" addresses"homeless"

clients’"non-legal"needs”)."Unhoused "clients"may"be"difficult"to"contact"or"fail"to"a pp ear,"

see%infra%note"186,"and"likely"do"not"have"the"fun d s "to"cov e r "an "attorney’s"retainer."See%

WILDER$RSCH.,"supra%note36,"at"36"(finding"“financial"reasons ”"to"be"the"largest"category"

of"issues"resulting"in "a"Minnesotan"becoming"homeless).%

143

." Papachristou"v."City"of"Jacksonville,"405"U.S."156,"162"(1971)"(citing"Thornhill"

v."Alabama,"310"U.S."88"(1940);"then"citing"Herndon"v."Lowry,"301"U.S."242"(1937))."

Papachristou%also"holds"void"any"statu te"which"“fails"to"give"a"person"of"ordinary"intel-

ligence" fair" notice" that" his" contem plated " conduct" is" forbidden.”" Id." (quoting" United"

States"v."Harriss,"347"U.S."612,"617"(1954))."Modern"anti-unhoused"statutes"are"gener-

ally"written"more"specifically"to"evade"this"prong,"but"some"may"still"be"void"for"failure"

to"prov ide"notice."See%supra%notes"122–34"and"accompanying"text"(providing"examples"

of"municipal"anti-unhoused"laws)."

550' MINNESOTA'LAW'REVIEW' [106:525!

on!a!crisp!early-autumn!day,!but!that!is!precisely!what!the!city’s!ordi-

nances!purport!to!prohibit.

144

!Scarce!are!the!reports!of!police!sweep-

ing!the!sidewalks!of!downtown!Phoenix!on!Sunday!mornings!to!pre-

vent! the! brunch! crowds! from! “congregat[ing]! upon! any! of! the!

sidewalks!in!the!City!so!as!to!obstruct!the!use!of!the!sidewalks!to!pe-

destrians.”

145

!These!disparities!indicate!that!municipalities!favor!cer-

tain!sorts!of!loitering!and!loafing!over!others,!the !very!definition! of!

unconstitutional!“arbitrary!enforcement.”!

The!right!of!unhoused!people!to!live!in!public!spaces!is!supported!

by!constitutional!equal!protection!principles.!In!Pottinger'v.'City'of'Mi-

ami,' the! Federal! District! Court! for! the! Southern! District! of! Florida!

ruled! that! the! city’s! “practice! of! arresting! homeless! individuals! for!

performing!essential,!life-sustaining!acts!in!public!when!they!have!ab-

solutely!no! place!to!go!effectively! infringes!on!their!fundamental!right!

to!travel!in!violation! of!the!equal!protection!clause.”

146

!This!reasoning!

can! form!the!basis!for!challenging! anti-unhoused! laws! everywhere.!

There!are!few!more!“essential,!life-sustaining!acts”!than!sleep!and!tak-

ing!safe!shelter.!If!cities!attempt!to!deprive!unhoused!people!of!those!

necessities!while!no!alternative!remains,

147

!Pottinger'has!mapped!out!

a!road!to!relief.!

The! Eighth! Amendment! has! proven! to! be! a! powerful! constitu-

tional! hook!for! unhoused! plaintiffs!seeking! to! live! in!public!spaces.!

Martin'v.' City'of' Boise'concerned!the!constitutional!challenge!of!un-

housed! people! cited! under! an! anti-camping! law! and! an! anti-public!

sleeping!law.

148

!The!Ninth!Circuit!held!“that!the!Eighth!Amendment!

prohibits!the!imposition!of!criminal!penalties!for!sitting,!sleeping,!or!

lying!outside!on!public!property!for!homeless!individuals!who!cannot!

obtain!shelter.”

149

!However,!the!court!only!extended!such!protections!

144

." See%BOSTON,$MASS.,$MUN.$CODE$ch.$XVI,"§"16-19.1"(2021)"(“No"person"shall,"in"or"

upon"the"Common,"Public"Garden"."."."stand"or"lie"upon"a"bench"."."." .” )."

145

." PHOENIX,$ARIZ.,$CITY$CODE$ch."23,"art."1,"§"23-8(a)"(2021)."

146

." 810"F."Supp."1551,"1554"(S.D."Fla."1992)."

147

." See,% e.g.,"BAKERSFIELD,$CAL.,$MUN.$CODE$tit."9,"§"9.70.010(B)"(2021)"(“[I]t"is"un-

lawful"for"any"person []"."."."[t]o"sleep"out"of"doors"on"any "pub lic"prop erty".".".".”)."

148

." 902"F.3d"1031,"1035"(9th"Cir."2018)"(making"“it"is"a"misdemean or"to"use"‘any"

."."." public" places" ."."." as" a" temporary" or" permanent" place" of" dwelling’”" and" banning"

“sleeping"in"any"building,"structure,"or"public"place,"w hethe r"public"or"private"."."."with-

out"[proper]"permission”)"(third"omission"in"original)."

149

." Id.%at"1048."

2021]' RIGHTS'FOR'UNHOUSED'MINNESOTANS' 551!

to!times!when!there!are!no!available!shelter!beds!and!“in!no!way!dic-

tate[d]!to!the!City!that!it!must!provide!sufficient!shelter.”

150

!The!Su-

preme!Court’s!denial!of!certiorari!to!the!appealing!city!could!indicate!

the!widespread!viability !of!such!Eight!Amendment!claims.

151

Protection!of!an!unhoused!person’s!Fourth!Amendment!rights!is!

directly!tied!to!their! very!survival.!Unhoused!people!have!few!belong-

ings,!and!those!they!do!have!are!precious!to!their!day-to-day!well-be-

ing

152

! and! their! ability! to! get! out! of! homelessness

153

! or! may! have!

deeply! personal! dignitary! value.

154

! The! reasoning! in! Pottinger! pro-

vides!a!strong!basis!for!extending!such!protections!against!“unreason-

able!searches!and!seizures”!to!unhoused!people.

155

!That!court!found!

the!unhoused!plaintiffs!“exhibited!a!subjective!expectation!of!privacy!

in!their!belongings”!because!of!the!care!they!exhibited!for!their!prop-

erty,

156

!as!well!as!the!precautions!they!took!when!not!present.

157

!It!

150

." Id."(restricting"its"E ighth"Amendment"protections" to"times"and"places"where"

“there"is"a"greater"number"of"home less"individua ls"in"[a"jurisdiction]"than "the"num b er"

of"available"beds"[in"shelters]”)"(alterations"in"original)."

151

." See%City"of"Boise"v."M artin,"140"S."Ct."674"(2019)"(mem.)."

152

." See,%e.g.,"Declaration"of" N a d i n e "Little"in "Support "of"Plai n ti ffs’ "Motion"for"Tem-

porary"Restraining"Order"at"3,"Berry"v."Hennepin"Cnty.,"No."20-CV-02189,"2020"W L"

6337706"(D."Minn."Oct." 29,"2020)"(“The"one" good"thing" that"happened"that"night"was"

a"stranger"giving"me"a"coat"and"two"blankets."The"coat"and"blankets"were"so"helpful."It"

was"so"cold"outside,"but"I"could"never"go"indoors"to"warm"up"because"everything"was"

closed"due"to"Covid-19.”)."

153

." See%Declaration"of"Henrietta"Brown"in"Support" of"Plaintiffs’"Motion" for"Tem-

porary"Restraining"Order"at"3," Berry,"202 0 "WL"63 3 7 7 06"(No." 2 0- CV-02189)"(“I"lost"so"

much"[in"a" police"sweep:]"my" birth"certificate,"application" for"medical"assistance," a"

photocopy"of"my"ID,"and"family"photos.”)."

154

." See%Declaration"of"Patrick"B erry,"supra%note"21,"at"5"(“At"some"point,"I"went"

back"to"Portland"to"retrieve"my" property,"w hich"included"sacred"N ative"American" ob-

jects"and"my"dad ’s"ashes—really"important"things"to"m e.”)."

155

." U.S.$CONST."amend."IV,"§"1 ."

156

." Pottinger"v."City"of"Miami,"810"F."Supp."1551,"1571"(S.D."Fla."1992)."The"court"

explained:"

Typical"possessions"of"homeless"individuals"include"bedrolls,"blankets,"cloth-

ing,"toiletry"items,"food"and "identification,"and"are"usually"conta in ed "in"a"plas-

tic"bag," c a rdboard"box," su i tc a s e "or" so me"oth e r "type"of"co n t a iner."In"additio n ,"

homeless"individuals"often"arrange"their"property"in"a"manner"that"suggests"

ownership,"for"exam ple,"by"placing"their"belongings"against"a"tree"or"other"

object" or" by" covering" them" with" a" pillow" or" blanket." Such" characteristics"

make" the" property" of" homeless" persons" reasonably" distinguishable" from"

truly"abandoned"property"." ."."."

Id.%(citation"omitted)."

157

." Id.%(“[W]hen"[plaintiffs]"leave" th eir"living"areas"for"work"or" to"find"food,"they"

often"designate"a"person"to"remain"b eh in d"to"secure"the ir"belongings ."Thus,"whether"

552' MINNESOTA'LAW'REVIEW' [106:525!

then!found!a!“legitimate!expectation!of!privacy”!based!on!“notions!of!

custom!and!civility”!to!accord!“some!measure!of!respect”!protecting!a!

unhoused!person’s!“last!shred!of!privacy!from!the!prying!eyes!of!out-

siders.”

158

!Applying!the!Fourth! Amendment’s!protections!to!“the!inte-

rior!of!bedrolls!and!bags!or!boxes!of!personal!effects”!belonging!to!un-

housed!people

159

—perhaps!even!the!interior!of!tents—could!subject!

cities!to!a!much!higher!standard!when!clearing!encampments.

160

Despite! the!cases!discussed!above,!cities!continue! to!pass!laws!

criminalizing! homelessness! at! an! ever-increasing! rate,

161

! some! of!

them!in!the!very!jurisdictions!at!issue!in!Pottinger'and!Martin.

162

!The!

vague!threat!of!litigation!is!not!enough!to!dissuade!cities!from!violat-

ing!the!cons titutional! rights!of!the!unhoused.!States!must!intervene!

and! provide! improved! legal! avenues! to! challenge! these! municipal!

laws!and!remedy!their!harms.!To!that!end,!some!states!have!contem-

plated!or!enacted!such!measures!in!the!form!of!a!bill!of!rights!for!un-

housed!people.!

C.! UNHOUSED"BILLS"OF"RIGHTS!

At!their!broadest! level,! Unhoused!Bills!of!Rights! are!“laws! that!

protect!the!civil!rights!of!people!experiencing!homelessness.”

163

!Some!

UBR! function! as! restatements! of! existing! federal! and! constitutional!

rights!paired!with!procedural!and!remedies!provisions!to!lower!the!

barriers! of! entry! to! enforcing! those! rights.

164

! Other! UBR! have! pro-

posed!grants!of!specific!positive!rights!vital!to!sustaining!life!in!public!

as!an!unhoused!person.

165

!Yet!other!laws!are!something!less!complete!

or"not"they"are"present"at"their"living"site,"plaintiffs"exhibit"a"subjective"expectation"

that"their"property"will"remain"unmoleste d"until"they"retu rn. ”)."

158

." See%id.%at"1572"(quoting"State"v."Mooney,"588"A.2d"145,"161"(Conn."1991)). "

159

." Id.%at"1572."

160

." See%supra%note"21."

161

." See%supra%note"133"and"accompanying"text."

162

." See% Housing%Not%Handcuffs," sup ra"note" 115,"at"109–10"(listing"laws"criminal-

izing"homeless n es s"in "Miami,"Florida "and"Boise,"Id a h o)."

163

." Sheffield,"supra%note"42,"at"3."

164

." See%id ."at"11–12%(describing"UBR"that"“specify"that" a"person"who"is"homeless"

has"the"same"rights"and"privileges"as"any"other"state"resident”"and"authorize"money"

damages"and"attorney’s"fee"awards)."

165

." See% Rankin," supra% note" 44," at" 413" (discussing " a" propos e d " Califo r n ia " UBR"

which"would"have" decriminalized"public"urination)."That" provision"was"replaced"in" a"

subsequent"ve rsion"of"the"bill"by"a"measure"requiring"local"governments"to"provide"

public"hygiene"facilities."Id.%at"413"&"n.195."

2021]' RIGHTS'FOR'UNHOUSED'MINNESOTANS' 553!

than!an!omnibus!“bill!of!rights”!but!take!an!incremental!approach!in!

pushing!forward!one!or!two!rights!at!a!time.

166

Still,!with!only!four!UBR!enacted!at!the!state!and!territory!level—

in!Connecticut,!Rhode!Island,!Illinois,!and!Puerto!Rico—along!with!a!

handful!of!municipal!measures,!laws!criminalizing!homelessness!have!

expanded!exponentially!faster!than!protections!against!them.

167

!Per-

haps!it!is!because!the!unhoused!rarely!have!the!capital,!both!financial!

and!social,!to!make!their!case!to!governments!or!courts.!Perhaps!the!

stigmatization! of! homelessness,

168

! the! criminalization! of! that! sta-

tus,

169

!and!the!social!ills!intersectional!with!homelessness

170

!make!the!

unhoused! “unsympathetic”!plaintiffs!in!the!eyes!of!lawmakers!and!the!

judiciary! alike.

171

! Perhaps! interested! advocates! and! policymakers!

have!made!a!strategic!decision!to!pursue!other!solutions.

172

!Broadly,!

this!Section!examines!existing!and!proposed!measures!to!survey!im-

portant!examples!of!the!modes!and!methods!Unhoused!Bills!of!Rights!

can! take.!Subsection!1! considers! the! predominant!mode!of! enacted!

UBR:!the!Rhode!Island!law!and!its!descendants.!Subsection!2!evaluates!

the!Puerto!Rican!administrative!scheme!protecting!the!rights!of!the!

homeless.! Subsection! 3!concludes!this!Part! by!discussing!the!ambi-

tious!Californian!UBR!which!failed!to!pass,!perhaps!in!part!because!of!

its!scale.!

1.! The!Rhode!Island!Model!

The!three! UBR!enacted! in!mainland! states!(Connecticut,!Rhode!

Island,! and! Illinois)! are! almost! identical! in! form! and! effect.

173

! As!

166

." See,%e.g.,"S.B."6 0 8 ,"2015–2016"Leg.,"Reg."Sess.,"at"1"(Cal."2015)"(“This"bill"would"

enact"the"Right"to"Rest"Act,"which"would"afford"persons"experiencing"homelessness"

the"right"to"use"public"space"without"discriminatio n"base d"on"the ir"housing "status. ” )."

167

." Compare% Homeless%Bill% of%Rights,"supra%note"41"(providin g"a"list"of"active"and "

proposed"UBR),%with%supra%note"133"and"accompanying"text"(discussing"the"increasing"

adoption"of"municipal"measures"penalizing"hom elessness)."

168

." See,%e.g.,%supra%note"40."

169

." See"supra"notes"125–34."

170

." See%supra%Part"I.A."

171

." Cf.%infra%note"297"(discussing"study"results"finding"tha t"a"large"m ajority"of"sur-

vey"respondents"held"punitive"views"of"the"unhoused)."

172

." See,%e.g.,%Policy%40:%Homelessness,"supra%note"45"(evincing"the"City"of"Minneap-

olis’s"goal"to"use"affordable"housing"policy" to "end"homeles sn ess) ;"Federal%Funding%for%

Homelessness% Programs,$ NAT’L$ ALL.$ TO$ END$ HOMELESSNESS,$ https://"

endhomelessness.org/ending-homelessness/policy/federal-funding-homelessness"

-programs" [https://perma.cc/5YXY-USU3/]" (focusing" on" lobbying" Congress" for" in-

creased"HUD"grant"funding)."

173

." See%Sheffield,"supra%note"42,"at"11"(“The"Rhode".Island"a nd "Illinois"laws"u se "

similar"language"and"specify"that"a"person"who"is"homeless"has"the "sam e"rights"and"

554' MINNESOTA'LAW'REVIEW' [106:525!

Rhode!Island!was!the!first!state!to!pass!such!a!measure,!this!Note!re-

fers!to!this!model!of!UBR!as!the!“Rhode!Island!Model.”!These!measures!

all!affirm!the!following!rights!for!unhoused!peop le:!

(1)"the"right"to"“move"freely" in"public" spaces" . "."."in "the"s a m e "manner"as"an y "

other"person;”

174

(2)"“the"right"to"equal"treatment"by"all"State"and "m unicipa l"agen cies;”

175

(3)" the" right" to" avoid" employment" discrimination" based" on" housing""

status;

176

(4)"the"right"to"“[r]eceive"emergency"m edica l"care,”

177

(5)"the"right"to"vote"and"the"rights"necessary"thereto,

178

(6)"broad"privacy"rights"for"their"personal"informatio n,

179

"and"

(7)"“a"reasonable"expectation"of"privacy"in"[their]"personal"property"to"the"

same"extent"as"personal"property"in"a"permanent"residence .”

180

privileges"as"any"other"state" resident" ."."."."Generally,"the"Connecticut"law"provides" the"

same"or"similar"protections.”)."

174

." 34$R.I.$GEN.$LAWS$§$34-37.1-3(1)$(2021);$775"ILL.$COMP.$STAT."45/10(1)"(2021);"

see%CONN.$GEN.$STAT."§"1-500(1)"(2021)."

175

." 34"R.I.$GEN.$LAWS$§$34-37.1-3(2)$(2021);$775"ILL.$COMP.$STAT."45/10(2)"(2021);"

see%CONN.$GEN.$STAT."§"1-500(7)"(2021)."

176

." Compare%34"R.I.$GEN.$LAW S$§"34-37.1-3(3)"(2021)"(codifying"the"right"to"avoid"

discrimination" “while" seeking" or" maintaining" employment”" due" to" housing" status),$

with"775"ILL.$COMP.$STAT."45/10(3)"(2021)"(codifying"the"right"to"avoid"discrimination"

“while" maintaining" employment”" due" to" housing" status)," and% CONN.$ GEN.$ STAT." §" 1-

500(2)"(2021)"(codifying"the"right"of"unhoused"persons"to"“ [h ]ave "equal"opportunities"

for"employme nt ”)."

177

." CONN.$ GEN.$ STAT." §" 1-500(3)" (2021);" see% 34" R.I.$ GEN.$ LAWS$ §$ 34-37.1-3(4)$

(2021);$775"ILL.$COMP.$STAT." 45/10(4)"(2021)."

178

." 34"R.I.$GEN.$LAW S$§$34-37.1-3(5)$(2021)$(codifying"the"rig hts"of"unhoused"peo-

ple" to" vote,"register" to"vote," and" receive" identification" documentation" necessary" to"

vote);$775"ILL.$COMP.$ STAT."45/10(5)"(2021)"(same);"see%CONN.$GEN.$ STAT."§" 1-500(4)"

(2021)"(codifying"the"rights"of"unhoused"peop le"to"“[r]egister"to"vote"and"to"vote”)."

179

." 34"R.I.$GEN.$ LAWS$ §$34-37.1-3(6)$ (2021)$ (co difying" the"privacy"rights"of"un-

housed"people"by"protecting"the"information"they"provide"to"shelters"and"service"pro-

vides" from" government" or" private" entities," as" w ell" as" affirming" p rotections" under"

HIPAA,"the"Violence"Against"Women"Act,"and" Federal"Homeless"Management"Infor-

mation"Systems);$775"ILL.$COMP.$STAT."45/10(6)"(2021)" (same);"see% CONN.$GEN.$STAT."§"

1-500(5)"(2021)"(codifying"the"rights"of"unhoused"people"to"“[h]ave"personal"infor-

mation"protected”)."

180

." 34"R.I.$GEN.$LAWS$§$34-37.1-3(7)$(2021);$775"ILL.$COMP.$STAT."45/10(7)"(2021)."

But%see%CONN.$GEN.$STAT."§"1-500(6)"(2021)"(declining"to"expressly"recognize"that"“rea-

sonable"expectation"of"privacy”"as"equal"to"that"of"property"in"a"permanent"residence). "

2021]' RIGHTS'FOR'UNHOUSED'MINNESOTANS' 555!

None!of! those!rights!are!unique!to! unhoused!people,

181

!but!home-

lessness!likely!makes!them!more!difficult!to!exercise.!These!measures!

are! like! a! good! trail! guide:! walking! familiar! ground! while! carefully!

pointing! out! items! of! particular! interest! to! potentially! insensitive!

passersby.!Connecticut’s!law!is!written!broadly.

182

!This!construction!

could!allow!judges! or! regulators!mo re!discretion! in!interpreting!its!

provisions!and!perhaps!raise!the!ceiling!on!the!gains!it!could!offer!un-

housed! people.! Conversely,! the! Rhode! Island! and! Illinois! laws! de-

scribe!a!more!concrete!and!defined!set!of!rights,!leaving!less!room!for!

interpreters!to!deflate!their!protections,!in!effect!setting!a!higher!floor.!

Additionally,!Rhode!Island!and!Illinois!codified!specific!remedies!

provisions,

183

! while! Connecticut! did! not.! The! two! aforementioned!

states!allow!courts!to!award!actual!damages!and!equitable!relief!but!

not! punitive!damages.

184

!Without! lucrative! damage! awards,! the! en-

ticement!of!contingent!fee!arrangements!is!likely!unavailable!to!un-

housed!people!seeking!to!attract!counsel.!Simply!and!sadly!put:!given!

that!unhoused!people!rarely!own!anything!the!law!recognizes!as!val-

uable,!money!damages!for!plaintiffs!suing!under!these!statutes!is!ex-

tremely!limited.!Both!states!do!allow!(but!not!mandate)!the!award!of!

reasonable!attorneys’!fees!and!costs.

185

!The!limited!rew ards!available!

to! victors! and! logistical! challen ges! attendant! to! working! with! un-

housed!clients,

186

!compounded!by!attorneys’!implicit!and!explicit!bi-

ases,!may!cause!potential!litigators!to!shy!away.

187

181

." See,%e.g.,"Sheffield,"supra%note"42,"at"11"(“The"[UBR]"laws"use"similar"language"

and"specify"that"a"person"who"is"homeless"has"the"same"rights"and"privileges"as"any"

other"state"resident".".".".”).%

182

." See%supra%notes"176–80"and"explanatory"parentheticals."

183

." 34"R.I.$GEN.$LAWS$§$34-37.1-4$(2021 );$775"ILL.$COMP.$STAT."45/15"(2021)."

184

." 34"R.I.$GEN.$LAWS$§$34-37.1-4$(2021 );$775"ILL.$COMP.$STAT."45/15"(2021)."

185

." 34"R.I.$GEN.$LAWS$§$34-37.1-4$(2021 );$775"ILL.$COMP.$STAT."45/15"(2021).%

186

." See,%e.g.,"Scott"Greenstone,"After%Losing%Contact%with%Homeless%Plaintiffs,%ACLU%

Lawyers%Ask%Court%to%D ismiss% Case%Against%the%City%of%Seattle,"SEATTLE$TIMES" (Apr."1,"

2020)," https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle -new s/homeless/after"

-losing-contact-with-homeless-plaintiffs-aclu-lawyers-ask- co urt-to -dismiss-case-

against-the-city-of-seattle" [https://perma.cc/HM R 2- Z8M A]" (“One"reason"they"asked"

for"the"dis m is sa l:"They"can ’t"find"their"plaintiffs." ‘ As" you"might"imagine,"it’s"difficult"to"

keep"in"contact"with"them,’"said"."."."a"staff"lawyer"for"the"ACLU"of"Washington.”)."But%cf.%

Harmony"Rhoades,"Suzanne"L."Wenzel," Eric"Rice,"Hailey"Winetrobe" &"Benjamin"Hen-

wood,"No%Digital%Divide?% Technology% Use%Among%Homeless%Adults,"26 "J.$SOC.$DISTRESS$&$

HOMELESS$73,$73$(2017)"(reporting"the"results"of"a"study"find ing"that"94%"of"unho used"

people"“currently"owned"a"cell"phone”)."

187

." See% infra% Part" II.B" (discussing" the" dearth" of" litigation" under" Rhode" Island"

Model"UBR)."

556' MINNESOTA'LAW'REVIEW' [106:525!

2.! The!Puerto!Rico!Model!

In!comparison!to!Rhode!Island!Model!UBR,!Puerto!Rico’s!broad!

framework! in ten ded!to!reduce!homelessness!is!outright!radical!in!ap-

pearance,!although!it!has!been!plagued!by!difficulties!in!implementing!

these!policies.!Drawing!its!authority!from!the!Puerto!Rican!Constitu-

tion,

188

!the!Commonwealth!forms!its!version!of!a!UBR!through!a!dif-

fuse! administrative! scheme.

189

! In! 1998,! Puerto! Rico! established! a!

commission!to!devise!a!unified!policy!among!“government!agencies,!

the! private! sector,! and! nonprofits”! to! meet! the! needs! of! the! un-

housed.

190

!In!2000,!the!territory!passed!an!act!focused!on!legal!out-

comes!for!the! unhoused,

191

!but!by! 2007!the! seams!of! Puerto!Rico’s!

scheme! were! showing.! The! 1998! “Commission! had! ‘not! developed!

models!to!address!the!homeless!situation,’”!so!it!was!replaced!with!a!

new!taskforce.

192

!Five!years!later,!“another!bill!for!the!protection!of!

the!homeless!.!.!.!noted!that!.!.!.!‘very!little!has!been!achieved!in!advanc-

ing!the!effort!to!improve!the!situation!of!homelessness.’”

193

!Local!ad-

vocates!for!the!unhoused!have!characterized!the!agency!implementa-

tion!of!the!s cheme!as!neglectful!at!best!and!compromised!at!worse.

194

Overall,!the!scheme!“enumerate[d]!several!positive!and!negative!

rights”!for!the!unhoused,!largely!imported!from!the!Puerto!Rican!Con-

stitution,!but!also!affirmatively!provided!protections!from!police!“mis-

treatment”!as!well!as!“free!access!to!parks,!town!squares,!and!other!

public! facilities.”

195

! The! 2000! act! required! cheaper,! informal! court!

proceedings! for! unhoused! people! and!allowed! “advocacy!groups!to!

serve!as!‘intercessors’!.!.!.!and!act!on!their!behalf.”

196

!Violations!of!the!

188

." Puerto" Rico’s" Constitution" provides" its" citizens" the" right" to" work," housing,"

medical"care,"and"welfare."P.R."CONST."art."II,"§ "20."It"also"prohibits"discrimination"based"

on"“social"condition.”"Id."art."II,"§"1."

189

." See"Rankin,"supra%note"44,"at" 399 –404"(describing"Puerto"Rico’s"hom eless-

ness"remediation"fram ework)."

190

." See"id.%at"400"(describing"the"commission’s"focus"on"“housing,"health,"employ-

ment"and"income,"and"access"to"government"services.”).%

191

." Id."at"401."

192

." See%id.%at"402."

193

." Id."at"403."

194

." See%id."at"403–04"(reporting"that"the"responsible"agency"“has"a"broad"set"of"

responsibilities"that"distract"it"from"sufficiently”"carrying"out"the"acts,"while"m an y"of"

the"mem bers"of"the"taskforce"are"also"the"heads"of"agencies"which"could"be"fined"for"

violations"of"the"scheme).%

195

." Compare%id.%at"402"(providing"rights"to"shelter," w orkfo rce" tra ining," a nd"med-

ical"attention),"with%P.R."CONST."art."II,"§"20"(providing "rights"“to"obtain"work”"and"to"

“housing"and"medical"care”)."

196

." Rankin,"supra%note"44,"at"401."

2021]' RIGHTS'FOR'UNHOUSED'MINNESOTANS' 557!

administrative!scheme!are!punishable!by!a!$5,000!maximum!fine.

197

Despite!the!implementation!issues,!the!Puerto!Rico!legislature!and!ad-

vocates!for!the!unhoused!should!be!lauded!for!repeatedly!pushing!a!

progressive! UBR! framework! forward.

198

! Many! of! the! provisions!

therein!are!practical!measures!which!could!make!an!immediate!differ-

ence!in!the!treatment!of!unhoused!people!and!the!vindication!of!their!

rights!if!adopted!as!a!part!of!a!bill!of! rights!for!unhoused!Minnesotans.!

3.! The!California!Model!(or!Lack!Thereof)!

Written!by!unhoused!rights!advocates!organizing!as!the!Western!

Regional!Advocacy!Project!and!first!proposed!to!the!state!legislature!

in!late!2012!by!Assembly!Member!Tom!Ammiano,

199

!Assembly!Bill!N o.!

5!(AB5)!was! California’s!first!attempt!at!an!Unhoused! Bill!of!Rights.

200

While! it! covered! the! same! general! negative! rights! grounds! as! the!

Rhode!Island!Model,

201

!the!California!UBR!also!provided!the!affirma-

tive!right!to!a!number!of!specific,!life-sustaining!behaviors!for!the!un-

housed.!The!California!Model!authorized!the!following!rights,!among!

others:!the!right!to!rest!and!sleep!in!public,

202

!the!“right!to!eat,!share,!

accept,!or!give!food!or!water!in!p ublic,”

203

!the!right!to!beg,

204

!the!right!

to!seek!out!and!engage!in!self-employment,

205

!the!right!to!pray!or!me-

diate!or!practice!religion!in!public,

206

!the!right!to!decline!she lter!space!

197

." See"id.%at"403–04.%

198

." The"full"extent"of"the"“impact[s]"o f"Puerto"Rico’s"culture,"civil"law"tradition,"

and"demographics”"on"its"attempts"to"remedy"homelessness"are"not"quite"clear."See%id.%

at"399"&"n.83."Professor"Sara"K."Rankin"highlighted"this"as"a"“rich"and"complex"area"for"

continued"research”"in"2015."See%id.%at"399"n.83"(collecting"limited"resources)."How-

ever,"it"does"not"appear"that"substan tiv e,"relevan t"wor k "has"been"produc ed "since"that"

time."

199

." See% Joh n"Thomason,"Can%a%‘ Homeless%Bill%of%Rights’%End%the% Criminalization%of%

LA’s% Most% Vulnerable% Residents?," NATION$ (Oct." 23," 2014)," https://www"

.thenation.c o m/article/arch iv e/ ca n -homeless-bill-rights-end-criminalization-las-

most-vulnerable-residents"[http s://pe rma .cc/C P9U -LZ8A ]" (discussing"the"history"of"

AB5)."

200

." Assemb."B."5,"2013–2014"Leg.,"Reg."Sess.,"at"1"(Cal."2012)."

201

." Compare,%e.g.,"id.%at"10"(ensuring"the"“right"to"move"freely"in"the"same"manner"

as"any"other"person"in"public”),"with%34$R.I.$GEN.$LAWS$§$34-37.1-3(1)$(2021 )"(ensuring"

the"right"to"use"and"move"freely"in"public"spaces)."

202

." Assemb."B."5,"2013–2014"Leg.,"Reg."Sess.,"at"10"(Cal."2012);"Id.%at"9" (defining"

“rest”"to"include"sitting,"standing,"sleeping,"or"lying)."

203

." Id."at"10."

204

." Id."

205

." Id.%at"11"(including"junk"collecting,"recycling"redemption,"and"storage"of"goods"

for"reuse)."

206

." Id."

558' MINNESOTA'LAW'REVIEW' [106:525!

or!social!services!without!criminal!o r!civil!sanctions,

207

!the!right!to!oc-

cupy!and!sleep!in!a!vehicle,

208

!and!the!right!to!counsel!when!charged!

with!a!violation!of!an!anti-unhoused!statute.

209

!In!addition!to!regular!

damages,!the!measure!provided!statutory!damages!of!$1,000!per!vio-

lation,!punitive!damages,!and!attorney!fee!awards.

210

!AB5’s!most!am-

bitious!provision!required!every!locality!to!“have!sufficient!health!and!

hygiene!centers!available!24!hours!a!day,!seven!days!a!week,!for!use!

by!homeless!people,”!run!with!state!funding.

211

While!AB5!failed!to!pass,

212

!its!strength!as!a!bill!was!the!detail!in!

which!it!elaborated!the!rights!of!the!unhoused.!By!enumerating!a!list!

of!the!specific!things! that!unhoused!people!can!do,!rather!than!merely!

list!broad!categories!of!what!cannot!be!done!to'them,!the!California!

Model! provided! express! protection! for! broad! categories! of! conduct!

commonly!criminalized!by!municipalities.

213

!By!expressly!authorizing!

the!proscribed!conduct!of!the!most!common!anti-unhoused!statutes,!

AB5!would!have!resulted!in!one!of!the!largest!mass-invalidations!of!

ordinances! ever! if! passed.

214

! Furthermore,! its! enhanced! remedies!

provisions! may! well! have! provided! unhoused! people! true! recourse!

under!the!law.

215

AB5’s! requirement! that! cities! furnish! hygiene! stations! for! un-

housed!people!was!a!policy!moonshot.

216

!That!provision!that!would!

have! had! a! life-changing! effect! for! unhoused! people—both! for! the!

207

." Id."

208

." Id.%at"11–12."

209

." Id.%at"13"(providing"a"list"of"offenses"entitling"an"unhoused"person"to"repre-

sentation,"including"loitering,"sitting,"lying"down,"camping,"begging,"sleeping"in"a"vehi-

cle,"and"bathing"in"public)."

210

." Id.%at"15–16."

211

." Id."at"14."

212

." Bill% History:% AB-5% Hom elessness," CAL.$ LEGIS.$ INFO.$ (Feb.$ 3,$ 2014)$ https://"

leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/ face s/b illH istor yC lien t.xh tm l? bill_id =2 01 3 20 1 40 A B 5"

[https://perma.cc/UYG 4- YDLF]"(“01/31/14" Died"pursuant"to" Art."IV,"Sec."10(c)"of"the"

Constitution.”).%

213

." Compare%supra%notes"202–04,"208"and"accompanying"text,"with%su pra %notes"

127–32."

214

." Compare% supra% notes" 202–04" and" accom panying" text" with% Count% of% Anti-

Homeless% Laws% by% California% City% (All% 82% Cities),$ W.$ REG’L$ ADVOC.$ PROJECT" 2" (2018),"

https://wraphome.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Laws-chart-82cities.pdf"

[https://perma.cc/J43E- F485]"(counting"820"municipal"anti-unhoused"laws"in"Califor-

nia)."

215

." See%supra%note"210"and"accompanying"text."

216

." See%supra%note"211"and"accompanying"text."

2021]' RIGHTS'FOR'UNHOUSED'MINNESOTANS' 559!

health!benefits!provided!by!personal!hygiene

217

!and!the!ability!to!bet-

ter!seek!and!maintain!employment

218

—but!its!cost!likely!played!a!part!

in!AB5’s!failure!to!pass.

219

!When!AB5!was!reborn!during!the!next!leg-

islative!session,!with!a!new!name!and!a!new!sponsor,!some!of!its!am-

bition!had!dissipated.!Far!more!practical!than!AB5,!Senate!Bill!No.!876!

still!offered!a!series!of!strong!protections,!but!gone!were!the!hygiene!

stations,! the!right!to! beg,!the!right! to! decline! shelter! without!being!

criminalized,!the!right!to!sleep!in!a!vehicle,!and!a!num ber!of!other!tai-

lored!provisions.

220

!Still,!the!lessons!that!AB5!can!teach!a!Minnesota!

UBR!are!invaluable.!The!specificity!of!enumerated!rights,!aggressive!

grants!and!carveouts,!and!ambitious!with!scope!and!scale!of!the!bill!

provide!a!strong!vision!of!what!a!progressive!UBR!might!accomplish.!

Enacted!and!proposed!Unhoused!Bills!of!Rights!alike!have!sought!

to! correct! centuries! of! abuses! of! the! fundamental! rights! of! the! un-

housed.

221

!While!a!great!number!(if!not!majority)!of!laws!criminaliz-

ing!homelessness!are!likely!unconstitutional,

222

!existing!UBR!have!de-

clined! to! provide! effective! enforcement! mechanisms.

223

! Proposed!

UBR! with!more!ambitious!enforcement!provisions,!and!progressive!

policy! goals! intended! to! aid! unhoused! people,! were! not! passed! by!

their!respective!legislatures.

224

!The! next! Part!of! this!Note! discusses!

217

." See%supra%note"66."

218

." See%Raelee"Childers,"A%Voice%for%the%Houseless:% Getting%a%Job%Isn’t%that%Simple,"

REDHEADED$ BLACKBELT" (Feb." 4 ," 2020)," https://kymkemp.com/2 02 0/0 2/0 4/a-voice"

-for-the-houseless-getting-a-job-isnt-that-simple" [https://perma.cc/2XQ3-TPZG]"

(“[Y]ou"need "to"be"clean"and "presentable"[to"get"a"job]."."."."It"can"be"hard"for"a"lot"of"

homeless"people"to"be"able"to"get"a"shower"."."."."[o]r"have"clean"clothes,"especially"since"

we’re"not"allowed"to"have"camps.”)."

219

." See%CHUCK$NICO L, $ ASSEMB.$ COMM.$ ON$APPROPRIATIONS,$ AB$ 5 $ SUMMARY$ 2$(2013 )$

(finding"that"A B 5’s"hygiene"station"provision"would"have"cost"$216"million"to"start"up"

and"$81"million"to" operate"annually);"Thomason,"supra% note" 199" (attributin g" A B5’s"

death,"at"least"“in "p ar t"to"qu e stio n s "abo u t"co st s"as so cia te d "w ith"th e"leg isl at ion ,"sp ec ifi-

cally"the"requirement"for"twenty-four-hour-hour"hygiene"centers”)."

220

." See%S.B."876,"2015 –2016"Leg.,"Reg."Sess.,"at"6"(Cal." 2016)."Despite"those"com-

promises,"S.B."876"went"unenacted."See%Bill%History:%SB-876%Homelessness,"CAL.$LEGIS.$

INFO$ (Nov." 30," 2016)," https://leg i n fo .l egislature.ca.g ov/faces/b ill H is t o ry C l ie n t"

.xhtml?bill_ id = 2 01520160SB876"[https://perma.cc/M3CW-FCF8]."

221

." Compare,%e.g.,%supra%notes"212–15"and"accompanying"text"(discu ssing"the"Cal-

ifornia"UBR ’s"attempt"to"combat"laws"criminalizing"homelessness),"with%supra%notes%

110,"116"(discussing"laws"criminalizing"homelessness"which "date"back"to"the"Colonia l"

Era)."

222

." See%supra%Part"I.B.2."

223

." See,%e.g.,"supra%notes"184–86"(discussing"the"limited"remed ies"available"under"

enacted"UBR)."

224

." See,%e.g.,"supra%Part"I.C.3"(discussing"California’s"proposed"UBR)."

560' MINNESOTA'LAW'REVIEW' [106:525!

the!limitations!of!previously!enacted!or!proposed!UBR—as!well! as!dif-

ficulties!posed!by!the!broader!social,!political,!and!economic!environ-

ment! surrounding! homelessness—in! order! to! inform! the! goals! and!

methods!of!a!proposed!bill!of!rights!for!Unhoused!Minnesotans.!

!!II.!THE!LIMITATIONS!OF!CURRENT!UNHOUSED!BILLS!OF!RIGHTS!!!

Since! the! three! Rhode! Island! Model! laws! were! enacted! in! the!

early! 2010s,! no! state! has! passed! an! Unhoused! Bill! of! Rights! since!

2013.

225

!To!determine!why!these!laws!have!fallen!out!of!fashion,!this!

Part! will! discuss! the! limitations! and! inefficacies! of! enacted! UBR,! as!

well! as! the! challenges! posed! by! the! legal! and! social! environment!

around!homelessness.!Section!A!examines!the!lack!of!novel!rights!and!

protections! inherent! in! negative! rights! provisions! of! enacted! UBR.!

Section!B!discusses!the!lack!of!litigation!generated!by!enacted!UBR,!

suggesting!that!they!do!not!allow!unhoused!people!adequate!avenues!

to!protect!their!rights.!Section!C!analyzes!relevant!socioeconomic!con-

ditions!to!determine!if!Unhoused!Bills!of!Rights!contribu te !to!reduced!

homelessness!in!adopting!jurisdictions.!Section!D!discusses!the!com-

plicated!tangle!of!socioeconomic!issues!that!defy!one-size-fits-all!so-

lutions!to!homelessness.!Section!E!concludes!this!Part!by!considering!

the! sociopolitical! hurdles! to! enacting! legislation! benefiting! the! un-

housed.!This!analysis!seeks!to!weigh!the!strengths!and!weaknesses!of!

existing!or!previously! proposed !UBR,!as!well!as! contextualize! legal!ef-

forts!on!behalf!of!the!unhoused!Minnesotans,!in!an!effort!to!draft!an!

effective!UBR!for!Minnesota.!

A.! ENACTED"UNHOUSED"BILLS"OF"RIGHTS"DO"NOT"PROVIDE"NOVEL"

PROTECTIONS"OR"RIGHTS!

Enacted!Unhoused!Bills!of!Rights!are!the!most!practical!place!to!

begin!analysis!of!a!proposed!Minnesota!UBR.!The!m ost!trenchant!legal!

criticism!of!enacted!Unhoused!Bills!of!Rights!is!their!duplicative!na-

ture.

226

!Simply!put:!enacted!Rhode!Island!Model!UBR!have!not!mean-

ingfully!expand e d!the!rights!of!unhoused!people!in!their!jurisdictions.!

All!three!of!them!contain!express!language!framing!their!protections!

of!unhoused!people!as!“grant[ing]!the!same!rights!and!privileges!as!

225

." See%Homeless%Bill%of%Rights,$supra%note"41"(providing"a"list"of"enacted"UBR)."

226

." See,%e.g.," Rankin,"supra% note" 44,"a t " 406"(“The" [Rhode" Island" UBR]" does"not"

grant"homeless"Rhode"Islanders"any"new"or"special"rights;"indeed,"it"expressly"pro-

vides"that" these" rights" are" ‘the"same" rights" and"privileges" as" an y" other"resident’" of"

Rhode"Island.”"(quotin g"S."2052,"Sub."B,"2012"Gen."Assemb.,"Reg."Sess."§"34-37.1-3"(R.I."

2012)))."

2021]' RIGHTS'FOR'UNHOUSED'MINNESOTANS' 561!

any!other!resident!of!this!state.”

227

!The!express!negative!rights!provi-

sions!of!the!Rhode!Island!Model!are!all!derivative!of!broader

228

!con-

stitutional

229

! rights.

230

! Many!of!them!contemplate!matters!that!are!of!

vital! importance! to! unhoused! people

231

! or! are! particularly! exacer-

bated!by!their!condition,

232

!but! do !nothing!to!implement!those!protec-

tions!or!reconcile!them!with!existing!legal!and!regulatory!schemes.!

For!example,! despite!the!voting!protections!in!the!Illinois!UBR,!

the!state!still!requires!a!“current!address”!and!an!“Illinois!identifica-

tion/driver’s!license!number!or! Social!Security!number”!to!register.

233

Per!local!advocates,!“a!letter!from!a!drop-in!center,!shelter,!or![a]!per-

son”!allowing! the!unhoused!individual!“to!use!their!address!for!the!

227

." 34" R.I.$ GEN.$ LAWS$ §"34-37.1-3" (2021);$ accord" 775" ILL.$COM P.$ STAT." 45/10(a)"

(2021)"(“[An"unhoused ]"pers on"s hall"be "gran ted"th e"sa m e"rights "and "privileg es"as "any "

other"citizen"of"this"State.”);"cf.%CONN.$GEN.$STAT. "§"1-500(a)"(2021)"(“The"rights"afforded"

homeless"persons"."."."are"available"only"insofar"as"they"are"implemented"in"accordance"

with"other"parts"of"the"general"statutes,"state"rules"and"regulations,"federal"law,"the"

state"Constitution"and"the"United"States"Constitution.”)."

228

." Compare,%e.g.,"34"R.I.$GEN.$LAWS$§"34-37.1-3"(2021)"(“A"person"experiencing"

homelessness"."."."[h]as"the"right"to"equal"treatment"by"all"state"and "municipal"agencies,"

without"discrimination"on"the"basis"of"housing"status".".".".”),"with%U.S.$CONST.$ amend."

XIV,"§"1"(“No"State"shall"make"or"enforce"any"law"which"shall"."."."deny"to"any"person"

within"its"jurisdiction"the"equal"protection"of"the"laws.” )."

229

." Compare,%e.g.,"775"ILL.$COMP.$STAT."45/10(a)"(2021)"(“No"person’s"rights,"priv-

ileges,"or"access"to"public"ser vic es "ma y "be"de n ied "or"ab rid ge d "sole ly"be ca u s e"he"or"sh e"

is"homeless .” ),"with%U.S.$CONST.$amend."XIV,"§"1"(“No"State"shall"m ake"or"enforce"any"

law"wh ich"shall"abrid ge"the"privileg es"or"immu n ities"of"citizens"of"the"Un ited"States"

.".".".”)."

230

." Compare,% e.g.,"C ONN. $GEN.$STAT."§"1-500(b)"(2021)"(“Each"hom eless"person" in"

this"state"has"the"right"to"."."."a"reasonable"expectation"of"privacy"in"his"or"her"personal"

property".".".".”),"with%U.S.$CONST.$amend."IV"(“The"right"of"the"people"to"be"secure"in"their"

persons,"houses,"papers,"and"effects,"against"unreasonable"searches"and"seizures,"shall"

not"be"violated".".".".”)."

231

." Compare"34"R.I.$GEN.$ LAWS$§"34-37.1-3(3)"(2021)"(barring"employm en t"dis-

crimination" on" grounds"of" one’s"homelessness)" with% Sarah" G olabek-Goldman," Note,"

Ban% the% Address:% Combating% Em ployment% Discrimination% Against% the% Hom eless," 1 26"

YALE$L.J."1788,"1799"(2017)"(“ [U nh ou sed"people"and"employme nt"specialists]"most"fre-

quently"referred"to"discrimination"during" the"job"ap plication" process"as" the"most" sig-

nificant"problem"facing"the"homeless"community.”)."

232

." Compare%775"ILL.$COMP.$STAT."45/10(a)(5)"(2021)"(ensuring"“the"rig ht"to"vote,"

without"discrimination"due"to"his"or"her"housing"status”),"with"Declaration"of"Henrietta"

Brown,"supra%note"153,"at"3"(de sc r ib in g"the" loss"of" a n "unhous e d "person’s" birth" certifi-

cate"and"identification"in"an"early"morning"encampment"sweep)."

233

." When%Voters%Do% (and%Don’t)%Ne ed%Identification%(ID),"COOK$CNTY.$CLERK’S$OFF.,"

https://www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/service/when -voters-do- an d-I-need"

-identification-id"[https :// p e rma.cc/D83F-UC4S]"(listing"the"requirements" to" register"

to"vote"and"describing"the"identification"documents"necessary)."

562' MINNESOTA'LAW'REVIEW' [106:525!

purpose!of!registering!to!vote”!can!suffice!as!identification.

234

!How-

ever,!unhoused!people! may!not!be! willing!or!able! to!stay!in! a!shel-

ter.

235

!Furthermore,!there!are! circumstances!where!a!voter!needs!two!

forms! of!identification,!and! many! of! those! “acceptable! forms!of!ID”!

may!be!difficult!for!unhoused!people!to!obtain!and!keep.

236

!How!can!

an!unsheltered!unhoused!register!honestly!without!an!address?!What!

happens!if!an!unhoused!person!is!required!to!produce!two!forms!of!

identification!and!cannot?!What!recourse!is!there!for!anti-unhoused!

bias!in!the!process,!such!as!Election!Judges!challenging!unhouse d !peo-

ple!at!disproportionate!rates,!or!the!disenfranchising!effects!of!voter!

identification!laws?

237

!The!Illinois!UBR!is!silent!on!those!details.!This!

failure!of!implementation!is!shared!by!all!three!Rhode!Island!Model!

UBR,!spanning!the!entire!list!of!their!negative!rights!provisions.!

It!could!be!argued!that!these!UBR!attempted!to!carve!out!home-

lessness!as!a!quasi-protected!class!under!state!law!in!an!attempt!to!

extend! safeguards! similar! to! Title! VII’s! employment! discrimination!

protections!to!unhoused!people.

238

!The!broader!scope!of!topics!con-

tained!in!the!UBR!could!have!resulted!in!the!application!of!a!burden-

234

." Niya"K."Kelly," Election% Day%2020%Is%November%3:% H ere’s%H ow %to%V ote%if%Yo u%Are%

Experiencing% Homelessness," CHI.$ COAL.$ FOR$ THE$ HOMELESS$ (Sep." 25," 2020),$

https://www.chicagohomeless.org/election -day-2020-is-november-3-heres-how-to "

-vote-if-you-are-experiencing-homelessness"[https://perm a .cc/B 6HQ -JXHZ]."

235

." See,% e.g.,% Declaration" of" Patrick" Berry," supra% note" 21," at" 5–6" (declaring" it"

“widely"known"that"shelters"are"unsafe”"and"expressing"concerns" ab out"the"threat"of"

COVID-19"in"shelters);"Lee," sup ra"note"100"(describing"Hennepin"County’s" sh elters"as"

“very"close"to"a"hundred"percent"utilization"on"a"daily"basis”);"see%also%supra%notes"87–

89"and"accompanying"text"(discussing"reasons" a n" u nho used " perso n" m ay " not" u tilize"

temporary"housing,"such"as"undesirable"shelter"conditions,"an"inability"to"remain"with"

family"or"pets,"or"the "sy m p t oms"of"withdraw al"fro m"substance"ab u s e)."

236

." Compare%When%Voters% Do% (and% D on’t)%Need%Id entification% (ID),$supra%note"233"

(allowing"p asspo rts,"driver’s"licenses,"leases"or"mortgages,"insurance"cards,"credit"or"

debit"cards,"and"certain"first-class"mail"addressed"to"a"voter,"among"other"documents,"

to"serve"as"v oter" identification)," with%Greenstone,"supra% note"186"(“The"[unhoused]"

plaintiffs"."."."said"they’d"lost"personal"possessions"such"as"identification"documents"."."."

all"seized"and"destroyed"without"adequate"notice"or"a"meaningful"way"to"retrieve"any-

thing"[when"the"city"removed"their"en camp ments].”)."

237

." See"Ben"Rowen,"“The%Oldest,%the%Lowest,%the%Slowest”:%Why%Voting%Isn’t%E asy%for%

Homeless% People% in% Texas," TEX.$ MONTHLY" (Mar." 3," 2020)," https://w w w "

.texasmon th l y.c o m/news- politics/why-voting-is-not-easy-fo r-homeless-people-in-

texas"[http s://p erm a.cc/ PT6 Q-V9N8]"(“One"of"the"key"effects"of"the"[Texas]"voter"ID"

law"is"not" to" turn" [unh ou se d] " pe op le" b ack " at " the " po lls," bu t" to " kee p " the m " from"ever"

heading"there"at"all.”)."

238

." Compare,%e.g.,"34"R.I.$GEN.$LAWS$§"34-37.1-3"(2021)"(providing"unhoused"peo-

ple"“the"right"not"to"face"discrimination"while"seeking "or"maintaining"emplo ym en t"due"

to"his"or"her"lack"of"permanent"mailing"add ress,"or"his"or"her"mailing"address"being"

that"of"a"shelter"or"social"service"p rovid er” ),"with%42"U.S.C."§"2000e-2(a)"(“It"shall"be"an"

2021]' RIGHTS'FOR'UNHOUSED'MINNESOTANS' 563!

shifting!framework!akin!to!the!McDonnell'Douglas'test

239

!applied!to!

subjects!beyond!employment!discrimination,!but!no!such!body!of!law!

has!formed!around!these!statutes.

240

!Absent!such!judicial!interpreta-

tion!of!these!provisions,

241

!prospective!plaintiffs!are!left!with!the!plain!

text!of!the!law.!On!that!count,!it!remains!difficult!for!unhoused!plain-

tiffs!to!prove!that!their!“rights,!privileges,!or!access!to!public!services!

[were]!denied!or!abridged!solely!because![they!were]!homeless.”

242

Ultimately,!Unhoused!Bills!of!Rights!are!mostly!a!collection!of!ex-

isting!rights,!reiterated!for!expressive!purposes.!One!of!the!major!or-

ganizations! which! argued! for! the! adoption! of! UBR! tacitly! acknowl-

edged!as!much!at!the!time!when!UBR!were!most!debated.

243

!There!is!

great!virtue!in!attempting!to!“draw!attention!to!the!plight!of!our!na-

tion’s!homeless!population,”!as!“th e!process!of!enacting![UBR]”!was!

intended!to!do.

244

!Unfortunately,!it!appears!that!little!legal!utility!has!

been!generated!in!the!process.!Wh ile!negative!rights!provisions!are!

important!to!ground!many!vital!are a s!of!litigation!for!the!unhoused,!a!

Minnesota!UBR!should!enumerate!what!its!negative!rights!provisions!

entail!in!far!greater!detail!than!Rhode! Island!Model!UBR.

245

!Further,!it!

should! provide! positive! rights! which! would! go! beyond! duplicative!

unlawful"em ployment"practice"for"an"employer"."."."to"discriminate"against"any"individ-

ual"."."."because"of"such"individual’s"race,"color,"religion,"sex,"or"national"origin".".".".” )."

239

." See% McDonnell"Douglas"Corp." v." Green," 411" U.S." 792," 802%(1 973 )"(setting" o ut"

a"burden-shifting"framework"that"allows"a"plaintiff"to"a llege"a"prima"facie"case"creating"

a"presum ption"of"discrimination"and"shifting"the"burden"onto"the"defendant-employer"

to"“articulate"some"legitimate,"nondiscriminatory"reason”"for"th e"a d ve rse "ac tio n) ."

240

." See%infra%Part"II.B"(discussing"the"miniscule"corpus%of"UBR"case"law)."

241

." We" truly" lack" any" meaningful" judicial" interpretation" of" Unhoused" Bills" of"

Rights."Only"two"trial" courts" have"decided" UBR"cases" on"the" m erits" and"no"UBR" claim"

has"ever"received"appellate"review,"per"major"legal"databases."See%infra%notes"251–54."

242

." 34"R.I.$GEN.$LAWS$§"34-37.1-3"(2021)"(emphasis"added);"see%infra%note"254"and"

accompanying"text"(discussing" rulings"against"unhoused"defendants"on"grounds"that"

their"adverse"treatment"was"a"result"of"neutral,"genera lly"applicab le"action ). "

243

." See%Bauman"&"Rankin,"supra %note"43,"at"7" ( a c k n o wledging"that"the"Rhode"Is -

land"Mod el"serves"to"“safeguard[]"hom eless"persons’"existing"civil"rights,”"but"also"ar-

guing"that"“they"can"inspire"ne eded "p ub lic"dia logu e” "and"“combat[]"the"stigma"of"home-

lessness”)."

244

." Id."

245

." The"California"UBR"took"this"approach,"coupling"negative"rights"provisions"

nearly"identical"to"Rhode"Island"Model"UBR"with"provisions"enumerating"activities"ex-

pressly"protected"by"those"negative"rights."See%supra%notes"201–09"and"accompanying"

text."

564' MINNESOTA'LAW'REVIEW' [106:525!

constitutional!protections!and! establish!new!avenues!for!aiding!un-

housed!people.

246

!These!measures!will!ensure!that!a!Minnesota!UBR!

has!more!teeth!than!current!UBR,!which!do!not!display!any!ability!to!

create!private!enforcement!of!the!rights!of!the!unhoused.!

B.! ENACTED"UNHOUSED"BILLS"OF"RIGHTS"DO"NOT"INCREASE"ACCESS"TO"

LEGAL"REPRESENTATION!

Even!if!the!negative!rights!provisions!in!enacted!UBR!are!largely!

duplicative,

247

!their!remedies!provisions!could!seemingly!secure!bet-

ter! access! to! legal! repre sentation.! Providing! for! “reasonable! attor-

ney’s!fees!and!costs!to! a!prevailing!plaintiff”

248

!would!theoretically!en-

tice!more!lawyers!to!take!cases!where!there!may!not!be!great!potential!

for!contingent!fee!awards.

249

!One!would!expect!UBR!claims!to!be!pled!

alongside!broader!violations!of!rights!or! utilized!in!situations!tailored!

to!their!narrow!subject!matter.!However,!in!the!twenty-five!cumula-

tive!years!that!the!three!Rhode!Island!Model!UBR!have!been!on!the!

books,

250

!they!have!generated!shockingly!little!litigation.!

Major!legal!databases!report!only!four!case!citations!for!all!three!

Unhoused!Bills!of!Rights!combined

251

!and!none!for!the!Rhode!Island!

246

." For"exa mple,"while"all"enacted"Rhode"Island"Model"UBR"prohibit"employment"

discrimination"because"someone"is"unhoused,"see%supra%note"176,"these"laws"do"noth-

ing"to"actively"prevent"such"discr im in a tio n ."Prohibiting"potential"employers"from"re-

questing"a"hom e"address"as"a"part"of"job"applications"would"prevent"a t"least"one"aspect"

of"employment"discrimination"against"the" unhoused."See% infra%notes"283,"422"and"ac-

companying"text."

247

." See%supra%Part"II.A."

248

." 34"R.I.$GEN.$LAWS$§"34-37.1-4"(2021);"775"ILL.$COMP.$STAT."45/15"(2021)."Con-

necticut’s"UBR"does" not" con tain" a"remedies" provision."See% CONN.$ GEN.$ STAT." §"1-500"

(2021).%

249

." Neither"the"Rhode"Island"nor"the"Illinois"UBR"provide"for"punitive" damages."

See%34"R.I.$GEN.$LAWS$§"34-37.1-4"(2021);"775"ILL.$COMP.$STAT."45/15"(2021)."Given"the"

plight"of"the"unhoused,"actual" damages"may"be"quite"low."See"supra "notes%184–85"and"

accompanying"text."

250

." See%Rankin,"supra%note"44,"at"404"&"nn."12 6–27"(noting"that"the"Rhode"Island"

UBR"was"passed"in"2012,"with"the"Illinois"and"Connecticut"laws"following"in"2013)."

251

." See"Uptown" Tent"City"Organizers"v."City"of" Chi."Dep’t"of"Admin."Hearings,"No."

17"C"4518,"2018"WL"2709431,"at"*1"(N.D."Ill."June"5,"2018)"(alleging"violations"of"the"

Illinois"UBR"in" c on ne ction "with"the"den ial"by"a"Chicago "administrative"agen cy"of"per-

mission"“to"‘erect"a" tent"city’”"when"the"city"closed"off"the"viaducts"containing"their"

current"enca mp men t);"Aldape"v."City" of"Chi.,"No."17"CH"12186," 20 19"Ill."Cir." LEXIS"28,"

at"*2"(Ill."Cir."Ct."Jan."18,"2019)"(alleging"a"violation"of"the"Illinois"UBR"because"the"con-

struction"project"“under"the"viaducts"is"a"pretext"for"the"true"discriminatory"motive"of"

preventing" Plaintiffs"from"using" these"sidewalks" as"a"place"to"rest"or"take"temporary"

shelter"solely"because"they"are"homeless”);"Okeke"Ewo"v."YMCA"of"Metro."Chi."LLC,"No."

2021]' RIGHTS'FOR'UNHOUSED'MINNESOTANS' 565!

UBR!itself.

252

!With!only!two!of!these!cases!decided!on!the!merits,

253

the!entire!canon!of!reported!Unhoused!Bill!of!Rights!caselaw!can!be!

dispensed!with!in!one!sentence:!it!is!difficult!to!prove!that!a!violation!

of!rights!occurred!solely'because!someone!is!unhoused.

254

It!is!unclear!what!causes!this!dearth!of!UBR!litigation.!It!could!be!

a!result!of!the!low!potential!rewards!or!the!challenge!of!working!with!

2015"CH"05330,"2015"W L"8492435,"at"*1,"*3" (Ill."Cir."Ct."Oct."26,"2015)"(alleging"a"vio-

lation"of"the"Illinois"U B R ’s" pro hibition"on "“access"to"public"services”"as"a"result"of"the"

non-renewal"of"a"lease"with,"and"subseque nt"eviction "from,"a"YMCA-run"housing"pro-

gram"for"the"unhoused);"Schipke"v."Tracfone"Wireless,"Inc.,"146"F."Supp."3d"455,"457"

(D."Conn."2015)"(alleging"that"a"telec om m u nication s"pro vider"“terminated"her"service"

because"she"is"homeless,"and"that"doing"so" therefore"violated"."."."Connecticut’s"Ho me -

less"Person’s"Bill"of"Rights”)."Th ese"are"the"only"reported"decisions"citing"any"of"the"

three"enacted"UBR"on"Lexis"or"WestL aw ."

252

." There" are" no" reported" decisions" citing" the" Rhode" Island" UBR" on" Lexis" or"

WestLaw." The" law" appears"to" have"been"cited" in" the" pro"se" pl ain t iff’s" complaint" in"

Schipke,"alt h o u gh"its"referenc e"was"likely"a"m ist a k e "g iv e n "th a t "th e "c a se "was"originall y"

filed"in"Connecticut"state"court."See%Defendants’"Memorandum"of"Law"in"Opposition"to"

Plaintiff’s"M otion"for"Temporary"Injunctive"Relief"at"10"n.1,"Schipke,"146"F."S u pp."3d"

455"(No."15-CV-01244),"2015"WL"13504949;"Schipke,"146"F."Supp."3d"at"456"(discuss-

ing"the"case’s"remo val"to"federal"court)."

253

." See% Uptown% Tent%City%Organizers," 2 0 1 8 " WL" 2709431," at" *2" (di smissing" the"

UBR"claim"for"lack"of"stan d ing) ;" Okeke%Ewo,"2015" WL"849 2 4 35,"at" * 3 "(dismissin g "UBR"

claims"for"fact-pleading"deficiencies)."

254

." See%Aldape,"2019"Ill."Cir."L EXIS"28,"at"*1 2–13"(ruling"that"a"city"construction"

project"displacing"an"unhoused"encampment" did"not"violate"the"Illinois"UBR"because"

it"prevented" ev er yo n e" from"liv ing " under"th e " v iad u c ts," n o t" solely"u n ho u s ed " p e op l e);"

Schipke,"146"F."Supp."3d"at"458"(ruling"for"Tracfone"because"it"was"complying"with"a"

federal"regulatio n" th at "re qu ir ed "a ll"a p p lica n ts "fo r"s u b sid ize d" ce llp h on e" se rv ice "to "p r o-

vide"a" residential"address"and" thus"was"not"acting"“sim ply" because" [the" plaintiff]"is"

experiencing"home les sn e ss ”)."

566' MINNESOTA'LAW'REVIEW' [106:525!

unhoused!clients.

255

!Perhaps!the!difficulty!in!proving!(or!even!alleg-

ing)!plaintiffs’!claims!compounds!those!two!factors.

256

!Of!the!four!re-

ported!UBR!cases,!one!was!filed!by!a!housed!person!on!behalf!of!un-

housed!people,

257

!one!was!litigated!pro!se,

258

!and!the!remaining!two!

secured!counsel.

259

!While!these!findings!amount!to!a!very!small!sam-

ple!size,!those!figures!and!the!lack!of!other!reported!cases!speak!vol-

umes!about!the!enacted!UBR’s!efficacy!in!vindicating!unhoused!peo-

ples’!rights!through!the!legal!system.!

Whatever!the!reason,!these!UBR!cases!are!not!being!brought!or!

decided! in!meaningful!numbers.!It!is!likely!that!there!are!at!least!some!

litigated!UBR!cases!which!are!simply!not!reported!in!major!legal!data-

bases.

260

!Perhaps!municipal!or!county!courts!in!Rhode!Island,!Illinois,!

and!Connecticut!regularly!deal!with!UBR!claims.!If!they!do,!however,!

255

." See,%e.g.,"Greenstone ,"supra%note"186"(discussing"so m e"of"the"logistical"chal-

lenges"for"lawyers"working"with"unhoused"clients);"see%also%supra%note"142"(discussing"

the"physical"a nd"mental"hea lth"challenges"that"may"need " to " b e"accounted"for"in"a"law -

yer’s"work" w ith" an"unhoused" client)." The" author"has"personally" witnessed " some"of"

these"difficulties."Counsel"ma y"struggle"to"find"their"client"in"order"to"conduct"inter-

views"or"preparatory"activities."The"unhoused"person" m ay"decline"to" attend"hearings"

where"they"were"intended"to"testify"in"fear"of"law"enforcement"and"the"legal"system."

The" mental" illness," addiction," physical" ailments," and" trauma" that" often" accompany"

homelessness"can"make"complying"with"the"demands"of"our"legal"system"difficult"or"

impossible.%See"WILDER$ RSCH.,"supra%note"36,"at"2 3 "(reporting"that"81%"of"unhoused"

Minneapolitans"suffered"from"at"least"one"of"a"serious"mental"illness,"chronic"physical"

health"conditions,"or"a" substance" use" disorder);" LIBBY$ PERL$ &$ ERIN$ BAGALMAN,$ CONG.$

RSCH.$ SERV.,$R44302,$ CHRONIC$HOMELESSNESS:$ BACKGROUND,$R ESEARCH,$AND$ OUTCOMES$5"

(2015)"(reporting "that"6 7% "of"th e"participants" in "a"stud y"of"the "chronically" u nho used "

“had" a" psychotic" disorder" or" other" serious" mental" illness,”" while" 60%" had" alcohol"

abuse"or"drug"abuse"issues)."

256

." See%supra%note"254"and"accompanying"text."

257

." Uptown% Tent% City% Organizers," 20 18" WL" 2709 431," at" *1" (“[P]laintiff" Andy"

Thayer,"a"30-year"resident"of"Uptow n"who"is"not"himself"homeless".".".".”)."

258

." Schipke," 146 " F." Sup p ." 3d" at " 456" (“Mary"Elizabeth" Schipke," Milford,"CT," pro"

se.”)."

259

." Okeke" Ewo" v." YMCA" of" Metro." Chi." LLC," No." 2015" CH" 05330," 2015" W L"

8492435,"at"*1,"(Ill."Cir."Ct."Oct."26,"2015);"Case%Information%Summary%for%Case%N umber%

2017-CH-12186,"COOK$CNTY.$CLERK$OF$THE$CIR.$CT.,$http://www.cookcountyclerkofcourt"

.org/Court C a se S e a r c h / DocketSea rc h .a s p x " (select" “Chancery”" from" dropdown;" then"

search" case" number" “2017-CH-12186”)" [https://perma.cc/7E NP - JU Z B ]" (rep o rtin g "

that"the"plaintiffs"in"Aldape%v.%City%of%Chicago"were"represented"by"counsel)."

260

." See%William"Lee,"In%Test%of%State%Law,%Chica go %H om e less%C oup le%S ue% City,% Alleg -

ing% Property% Rights% Violated," CHI.$ TRIB.$ (Feb." 7," 2018),""

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/breaking/ct-met-homeless-harassm ent"

-suit-20180205-story.html" [https://perma.cc/KB8F-66Q 4]" (reporting" that" the" Chi-

cago"Coalition"for"the" Hom eless" has" filed"three"UBR"claims,"at"least"one" of" which"is"

separate"from"any"of"the"reported"decisions"discussed"above)."

2021]' RIGHTS'FOR'UNHOUSED'MINNESOTANS' 567!

little!evidence!of!that!activity!has!reached!the!legal!mainstream.!If!Un-

housed!Bills!of!Rights!were! intended!to! increase!access!to!the!legal!

system!for!their!unhoused!beneficiaries,!they!have!not!accomplished!

that!goal.!A!Minnesota!UBR!must!provide!stronger!remedies!and!en-

forcement!mechanisms!than!current!UBR!in!order!to!generate!more!

litigation!enforcing!the!rights!of!the!unhoused.!The!near-nonexistence!

of!UBR!litigation!in!UBR-enacting!states!is!a!compelling!argument!for!

the!need!to! incentivize!plaintiffs! and!attorneys! to! bring!such!cases,!

and!more!genero us!damage!awards!will!likely!bring!about!that!result.!

Further,! allowing! for! public! (and! quasi-public)! enforcement! by! the!

Minnesota!Attorney!General!and!homelessness!nonprofits!permits!en-

forcement! by! entities! concerned! with! the! common! good.! Including!

these!measures!will!likely!result!in!a!Minnesota!UBR!that!better!pro-

tects!the!rights!of!the!unhous ed!through!more!active!litigation.!

C.! THE"PRECISE"IMPACT"ENACTED"UNHOUSED"BILLS"OF"RIGHTS"HAD"ON"

DECREASING"HOMELESSNESS"IN"THEIR"JURISDICTIONS"IS"DIFFICULT"TO"

ISOLATE"AND"QUANTIFY!

Regardless!of!their!litigative!utility,!Unhoused!Bills!of!Right!are!

intended!to!serve!broader!social!purposes,!including!“lay[ing]!a!legal!

foundation!for!ending!homelessness.”

261

!Society!can!thus!judge!UBR!

by! their! effects! on! homelessness! in! enacting! jurisdictions.! At! first!

glance,!it!would!appear!there!are!strong!benefits!to!be!had!from!adopt-

ing!an!Unhou s ed!Bill!of!Rights.!From!2013!to!2020,

262

!the!three!states!

that!adopted!UBR!all!saw!their!total!homeless!drop!significantly!more!

than!the!national!decrease!ove r!the!same!period .!While!homelessness!

decreased!around!10%!nationwide!during!that!time,!Illinois!and!Con-

necticut! saw! decreases! of! over! 30%,! and! Rhode! Island’s! rate! de-

creased!around!20%.

263

!That!difference!is!dramatic,!but!it!is!difficult!

to!determine!how!much!credit!UBR!themselves!can!be!allocated!for!

those!gains.!There!are!other!factors!which!may!have!contributed !to!

261

." Bauman"&"Rankin,"supra%note"43,"a t "8 ."

262

." A"January"1,"2013"starting"date" was"chosen"as"a"rough"midpoint"between"the"

effective"dates"of"the"three"Rhode"Island"Model"UBR."See%Rankin,"supra%note"44,"at"404"

&" nn." 126–27." A" February" 1," 2020" cutoff" date" was" chosen" because" that" date" most"

closely"coincides"with" the" data" collection"period" of" the"latest" pub lished" H UD " AHAR"

count"results."See%AHAR,"supra"note"49,"at"4"(“The"one-night"counts"are"conducted"dur-

ing"the"last"10"da y s"o f"Ja n u ar y"e a ch "y ea r.”)."

263

." See% 2007–2020% Point-in-Time% Estimates% by% State," HUD$ EXCH.,$ https://www"

.huduser.go v / p o r ta l / si te s / d e fa u l t/ f ile s / x ls / 2 0 0 7 - 2020-PIT-Estimates-by-state.xlsx"

[https://perma.cc/4M FH-LNVE]"(locating"the"data"in"the"“Change”"ta b,"in"Colu m n"N,"

“Change"in"Total"Homelessness,"2007-2020”)."

568' MINNESOTA'LAW'REVIEW' [106:525!

decreased! homelessness! in!those!jurisdictions,!and!the!existence!of!

those!UBR!may!itself!be!attributable!to!social!conditions!lending!them-

selves!to!decreased!homelessness.!

Macroeconomic!conditions!over!the!interval!in!question!may!be!

largely! responsible! for! decreased! homelessness! in! those! jurisdic-

tions.

264

!UBR!states!saw!their!average!private-sector!hourly!earnings!

increase!around!17%!from!2013!to!2020,

265

!and!their!average!house-

hold!incomes!increased!around!29%,!greater!than!the!national!aver-

age.

266

!UBR!states’!unemployment!rates!fell!around!58%!during!that!

same! period

267

! while! their! gross! domestic! products! rose! around!

20%,

268

!beating!the! national! figures!in!both! statistics.

269

!Household!

income!rose!much!quicker!than!housing!prices!in!UBR!states,

270

!which!

264

." Data"and"statistics"in"this"Section"are"retrieved"from"the"Federal"Res erv e "Bank"

of"St."Louis’"Economic"Data"portal"(FRED)."FRED%Economic%Data,"FED.$RSRV.$BANK$OF$ST.$

LOUIS"[hereinafter"FR ED ],"https://fred.stlouisfed.org"[https://p erm a.cc/ K3 42-Q379]."

Individual"figures"will"be" cited"as"“FRED," sup ra"note" 264,"a t ”"followed"b y "the" n ame"of"

the"da ta"series"containing"that"information"and"the"data" series"identifier"in" parenthe-

ses."Data "was"display e d "for"the" d a t e s"range d "Janua ry "1,"2013"to"F e b ruary"1 ,"2020 ."See%

supra% note"262"and"accompanying" te xt."Where"data"did"not"extend"to"the"terminus"of"

the"date"range,"the"latest"reported"information"for"that"statistic"w as"used. "

265

." See%FRED,"supra"note"264,"at"Average%Hourly%Earnings%of% All% Employees:%Total%

Private%in%Rhode%Island%(SMU44000000500000003SA),"Average%Hourly%Earn ings%of%All%

Employees:%Total%Private%in%Illinois%(SMU17000000500000003SA),"Average%Hourly%Earn-

ings%of%All%Emplo y ees :%To ta l%P r iva te%in %C o nn ec tic ut %(S M U 0 9 00 0 00 0 5 00 0 00 0 0 3S A ) . "

266

." Compare%FRED,"supra"note" 264,"at"Median%Household%Income% in%Rhode%Island%

(MEHOINUSRIA 64 6 N)"Median%Household%Income%in%Illinois%(MEHOINUSILA646N),"Me-

dian%Household%Income%in%Connecticut%(MEHOINUSCTA646N),"with"id.%at"Median%House-

hold% Income%in%the%United%States%(MEHOINUSA646N )."T h is "statistic"i s"calculated"annu-

ally,"so"these"figures"run"from"2013"to"end-of-year"2019."

267

." See%FRED,"supra"note"264,"at"Unemployment%Rate%in% Rhode% Island% (RIUR),%Un-

employment%Rate%in%Illinois%(ILUR),%Unemployment%Rate%in%Connecticut%(CTUR)."

268

." See% FRED," supra" note" 264," at " Gross% Domestic% Product:% All% Industry% Total% in%

Rhode% Island%(RINGSP),%Gross% Domestic%Product:%All%Industry%Total%in% Illinois%(ILNGSP),%

Gross%Domestic%Product:%All%Industry%Total%in%Connecticut%(CTNGSP)."This"statistic"is"cal-

culated"annually,"so"these"figures"run"from"2013"to"end-of-year"2019."

269

." See%FR ED,"supra"note"264,"at"Unemployment%Rate%(UNRATE),"Gross%Domestic%

Product:%All%Industry%Total%in%the%United%States%(USNGSP)."

270

." The"median"household"income"in"UBR"states"grew"29.1%,"but"house"prices"

only"grew"21.8%."Compare%supra%note"266"and"accompanying"text,"with"FRED ,"supra"

note"264,"at"All-Transactions%H ouse%Price%Index%for%Rhode%Island% (RISTHPI),%All-Trans-

actions%House%Price%Index%for%Illinois% (ILSTHPI),%All-Transactions%House%Price%Index%for%

Connecticut%(CTSTHPI)."This"statistic"is"calculated"quarterly,"so"these"figures"are"cut"off"

at"the"fourth"quarter"of"2019."

2021]' RIGHTS'FOR'UNHOUSED'MINNESOTANS' 569!

was!opposite!to! the!national!trend.

271

!Where! there! are!more!jobs,!bet-

ter!pay,!and!relatively!more!affordable!homes,!it!follows!that!home-

lessness!would!decrease!as!a!result!of!improved!macroeconomic!con-

ditions.!

Even!if!there!are!economic!factors!more!likely!to!have!affected!

total!homelessness!rates!in!UBR!states,!it!may!be!possible!that!the!neg-

ative!rights!provisions!of!their!laws!protect!the!quality!of!life!people!

experience!while!unhoused.!There!are!little!data!available!on!trends!

in!the!conditions!people!experience!while!unhoused.!However,!some!

evidence!suggests!that!unhoused!people!in!UBR! states!have!benefitted!

from!im p r o v e d!conditions!of!homelessness.!Despite!a!net!nation a l!de-

crease!in!homelessness,!rates!of!both!unsheltered!and!chronic!home-

lessness!rose!from!2013!to!2020.

272

!However,! UBR!states!saw!their!

rates!of!unsheltered!and!chronic!hom eless!decrease!in! step!w ith!their!

overall! rates! of! homelessness.

273

! The!causes!of!those! decreases! are!

difficult!to!disentangle!from!the!overall!socioeconomic!conditions!af-

fecting!homelessness,!but!it!may!be!possible!that!UBR!have!positive!

effects!on!the!quality!of!life!people!experience!while!unhoused.!Other!

issues!likely!weigh!on!this!factor,!but!there!is!at!least!some!correlation!

(if!not!causation)!between!a!state!adopting!a!UBR!and!improved!con-

ditions!for!unhoused!people!of!that!state.!While!likely!not!remedial!in!

nature,!it!is!possible!that!UBR!have!some!palliative!effect!on!the!con-

ditions!of!homelessness!that!unhoused!people!experience.!

The!precise!impact!UBR!have!may!be!difficult!to!isolate.!Optimis-

tically,!it!could!be!that!advocates’!view!of!the!case!is!true:!“[T]he!pro-

cess!of!enacting![UBR]!help[s]!to!draw!attention!to!the!plight!of!our!

nation’s! homeless! population”! and! “provoke[s]! important! dialogue!

about!the!causes!of!homelessness!as!well!as!constructive!solutions!to!

help!end!it.”

274

!While!not!a!legal!strategy,!the!policy!benefits!that!stem!

from!such!attention!and!dialogue!would!be!a!useful!benefit!of!UBR!as!

271

." The"median"household"income"nationwide"grew"38%,"but"house"prices"grew"

41%" over"the"same"period."See%FRED,"supra "note"264,"a t "Median%Household%Income% in%

the%United%States%(MEHO INUSA646N ),"All-Transactions%House%Price%Index%for%the%United%

States%(USSTHPI)."

272

." See%2007–2020%Point-in-Time%Estimates%by%State,"supr a%note"263,"at"tabs"2 0 13"

&"2020"(reporting"national" data"showing"a"15.5%"rise"in"unsheltered"homelessness,"

and"17%"rise"in"chronic"homelessness,"from"2013"to"2020,"com pared"to"a"1.7%"de-

crease"in"overall"homelessness)."

273

." See%id.%(reporting"data"for"Rhode"Island,"Illinois,"and"Connecticut"showing"a"

combined"16.1%"decrease"in"unsheltered"homelessness,"and"5.7%"decrease"in"chronic"

homelessness,"from"2013" to"2020,"com pared"to" a"25%" decrease"in"overall"hom eless-

ness).%

274

." Bauman"&"Rankin,"supra%note"43,"a t " 7,"10."

570' MINNESOTA'LAW'REVIEW' [106:525!

a!part!of!a!greater!strategy!to!combat!homelessness.

275

!With!Minne-

sota!facing!a!homelessness!crisis!in!the!coming!months!and!years,

276

improved!conditions!of!homelessness!may!save!hundreds!of!lives.

277

The!attention!and!dialogue!a!campaign!to!adopt!a!UBR!would!create!

may! furnish! long-term! benefits! to!Minnesota,! especially! if!attitudes!

concerning!the!unhoused!can!be!shifted!from!“sympathy”!to!a!desire!

to!actually!help.

278

D.! HOMELESSNESS"IS"A"COMPLICATED"SOCIOECONOMIC"ISSUE"WITH"

INTERSECTIONAL"ROOT"CAUSES"NOT"SOLVABLE"BY"ANY"ONE"LAW!

Homelessness!is!a!staggeringly!complicated!problem!to!solve.

279

“The!structural!issues!that!underlie!the!persistence!of!homelessness,!

as!well!as!the!heterogeneity!of!the!homeless!population,!defy!simple!

275

." On"the"issue"of"correlation"versus"causation,"improved"homelessness"statis-

tics"in"UBR"states"may"indicate"that"states"w ith"a"sociop olitical"environment"conducive"

to"passing"such"laws"may"enact"other"laws"and"policies"beneficial"to"unhoused"people."

However,"a"state-by-state"survey"of" law s"concerning"homelessness"an d"their" correla-

tion"with"rates"of"jurisdictional"hom elessness"is"beyond"the"scope"of"this"Note."

276

." Over"13,000" Minnesotans" could"be"evicted"as"COVID-related"eviction"protec -

tions"expire."See"sources"cited%supra %note"35"(d iscussing "the"impend ing"expiration"o f"

state"and"fede ral"restrictions"on"eviction s);"MCDONOUGH,%supra%note"36,"at"16"(estimat-

ing"eviction"figu r es "fo r"Minnesota"once "p ro te ct ion s "e x p ire)."Evictions"are"the"l ar ge st"

single"cause"of"homelessness"in" M innesota."See"WILDER$RSCH.,"supra%note"36,"a t"36."Ex-

periences" of"homelessness"are"often"correlated" w ith"future" periods"of"homelessness,"

meaning"that"the"initial"wave"of"evictions"could"produce"aftershocks"for"years."Id .%at"17"

(finding"that"7 7% "of"unhoused"adults"in"Minnesota"had"experienced"homelessness"be-

fore)."

277

." Almost"60%"of"Minnesota’s"unho used" are"unsheltered,%WILDER$RSCH.,"supra%

note"36,"at"4,"and"unshelte r e d "unh o u se d "peo p l e"hav e "mo rt a lit y "rates "that "are"alm o s t"

three"times"higher"th an" the "sh eltered" u nho used "p opu lation ."See%Roncarati"et"al.,"supra%

note"68," a t "1242 ."Red u c in g "the"unsh e lt er e d "prop o r ti o n "of"Minne s o ta’s"unhoused"pop-

ulation"will"have"a"direct"life-saving"effect."

278

." See% Greene," supra% note" 19" (quoting " a" Powderhorn" neigh bo rhoo d" resident"

“sympathetic”"to"the"plight"of"Minneapolis’"unhoused,"but"unwilling"to"tolerate"them"

living"in"a"public"park)."

279

." For"example,"while"strong"economic"conditions"are"seemingly"correlated"with"

reduced"hom e lessness,"see%supra %Part"II.C,"there"is"evidence" that"certain"regions"may"

see"an"increase"in"homelessness"associated"w ith"m acroecon om ic"improv em ents."See%

Maggie"Stringfellow"&"Dilip"Wagle,"The%Economics%of%Hom ele ssn es s%in%Seattle%and%King %

County," MCKINSEY$ &$ CO." (M ay" 18," 2018)," https://ww w .m ckinse y.com / feature d"

-insights/futu re - of- cities/the- eco nomics-of- hom elessness-in-seattle-and-king-county"

[https://perma.cc/FX8F-J2J5]"(su g ge stin g "that"ris ing "rents"associated"with"eco no mic"

growth"in"the"Seattle"metro"area"contribute"to"increased"homelessness"in"the"region)."

2021]' RIGHTS'FOR'UNHOUSED'MINNESOTANS' 571!

solutions.”

280

!Homelessness!can!be!attributed!to!the!intersectional!ef-

fects!of!poverty,!lackluster!healthcare!solutions,!and!extremely!defi-

cient!mental! health!care!systems,

281

!compounded!by!the!effects!of!sys-

temic! racism.

282

!Unhoused!Bills!of!Rights!cannot! singlehandedly!solve!

those!issues.!It!will!take! a!variety!of! remedial!measures!working!in!

concert,!given! greater!resources!than!they! currently!receive,! to!end!

and!prevent!homelessness.!

To!that!end,!UBR!could!serve!as!connective!tissue,!acting!as!a!con-

duit! between! those! different! areas! of! policy! and! law.! They! may! fill!

gaps! in! existing! law! that! undermine! the! effectiveness! of! existing!

homelessness-remediation!programs.!For!example,!“ban!the!address”!

measures—barring!the!provision!of!an!address!for!job!applications—

could! greatly! reduce! employment! discrimination! against! unhoused!

people.

283

!Preventing!employment!discrimination! against! unhoused!

people!is!already!an!express! purpose!of!enacted! UBR.

284

!A!“ban!the!

address”!measure!in!an!unhoused!bill!of!rights!would!provide!a!par-

ticularized!way!of!carrying!out!that!purpose.!It!is!unclear!what!pur-

pose!requiring! an!address! to!apply! for!a! job!serves,! besides!the! ex-

tremely! small! group! of! jobs! where! living! in! close! proximity! to! the!

workplace! is! an! important! job! requirement.

285

! “Ban! the! address”!

measures!are!intertwined!with!criminal!justice!reform,!as!well.!For-

merly!incarcerated!people!may!be!required!to!list!their!jail!or!prison!

as! a! former! address,! and! the! overcriminalization! of! homelessness!

280

." Martha" R." Burt," Jenneth" Carpenter," Samuel" G." Hall," Kathryn" A." Henderson,"

Debra"J."Rog,"John"A."Hornik,"Ann"V."Denton"&"Garrett"E."Moran,"Strategies%for%Improving%

Homeless%People’s%Access%to%Mainstream%Benefits%and%Services,$U.S.$DEP’T$OF$HOUS.$&$URB.$

DEV.$ 1" (2010),$ https://www.huduser.gov/portal/publications/"

strategiesaccessbenefitsservices.pdf"[https://perma .cc/Z5 4H-ZNQ3]."

281

." See%id."

282

." See%supra%notes"73–74"and"accompan ying"text" (discussing"the" effects"of"sys-

temic"racism "in"perp etuatin g"the"disproportionate"incidence"of" hom elessness"am ong"

racial"minorities)."

283

." See%Golabek-Goldman,"supra%note"231,"at"1799–805"(conducting"interviews"

attesting"to"the"effects"of"homelessness"on"job"applicants);%see%also%id.%at"1805–06"(find-

ing"that"many "on lin e "job "po s tin gs "at"lo w - wage"employers"do"not"let"an"individual"sub-

mit"an"application"without"providing"an"address)."

284

." See%supra%note"176"and"accom panying"text"(discussing"the"employment"dis-

crimination"protections"of"Rhode"Island"Model"UBR)."

285

." For"example,"firefighters"are"often"required"to"live" close"to"their"firehouse"in"

order"to"facilitate"quicker"response"times"to"incidents."Cf.%MINN.$STAT. $§$415.16$sub div."

3"(2021)"(“A"."."." city" or" county" m ay" im pose" a" reasonable"residency" requirement" on "

persons"employed"."."."as"members"of"a"nonprofit"firefighting"corporation"."."."."related"

to"response"time".".".".” )."

572' MINNESOTA'LAW'REVIEW' [106:525!

likely! means! that! unhoused! people! would! be! among! that! group.

286

Combined!“ban!the!address”!and!“ban!the!box”!anti-criminal!history!

measures,

287

!whether!included!in!a!UBR!or!as!standalone!measures,!

could!be!instrumental!in!implementing!the!broader!goal!of!preventing!

employment! discrimination! against! unhoused! people.! By! including!

such!measures!in!a!Minnesota!UBR,!that!proposed!law!would!surpass!

the!duplicative,!unelaborated!negative!rights!of!existing!UBR!and!pro-

actively!prevent!such!discrimination.!

Address-banning! provisions! provide! an! example! of! how! a! dis-

crete!and!technical!measure!can!aid!existing!programs.!Greater!em-

ployment! opportunities! for! unhoused! people! would! likely! result! in!

their!escaping!homelessness!quicker,!while!reducing!the!financial!out-

lay!of!aid!organizations!in!the!interim.!Other!more!resource-intensive!

measures!can!have!similar!effects!in!supporting!existing!policies!and!

programs.!Guaranteeing!unhoused!people!the!right!to!storage

288

!could!

prevent!the!loss!of!documents

289

!required!to!apply!for!jobs,!financial!

benefits,!or!housing!solutions.

290

Such!rights!are!already!contemplated!at!broader!levels!by!exist-

ing!UBR.

291

!Enumerating!these!discrete,!particularized!rights!merely!

286

." See%supra%notes"125–34"(discussing"the"extensive"array"o f"m un icipal"a nti-un-

housed"ordinances,"often"carrying"criminal"penalties)."

287

." “Ban" the" box”" campaigns" seek" to" prohibit" employers" from" including" “the"

check"box"on"applications"that"in quires"about"a"convictio n"history.”"Golabek-Goldman,"

supra%note"231,"at"1790.%

288

." See% Kriston" Capps," Can% Cities% Ease% Homelessness% with% Storage% Units?,"

BLOOMBERG:$ CITYLAB$ (Aug ." 25," 2014)," https://www.bloomberg.com /ne w s/"

articles/2014-08-25/can-cities-ease-homelessness-with-storage-units"

[https://perma.cc/7X9A -W2KL]"(discussing"San" Diego’s"Transitional"Storage "Center,"

which"provides"unhoused"people"with"a"secure"area"to" store"their"belongings"in"num-

bered"plastic"tubs,"supervised"by"city"employees"to"preve nt"theft)."

289

." See%Declaration"of"Henrietta"Brown,"supra%note"153,"at"3"(a t te s ting"that"a"sud -

den"police"sweep"of"an"unhoused"encampment"resulted"in"the"loss"of"an"individual’s"

“birth"certificate,"application"for"medical"assista n c e,"[a n d ]"a "ph o to co p y "o f"[h er] "ID ”)."

290

." See,% e.g.," Understanding% Supplemental% Security% Income% Documents% You% May%

Need%When%You%Apply—2021%Edition,$ SOC.$SEC.$ ADMIN.,"https://www.ssa.gov/ssi/text"

-documents-ussi.htm"[https://perma .cc/2N C A-YDK M]"(requiring"documents"such"as"

birth"records,"proof"of"income"and"resources,"and"the"preceding"15"years"of"work"his-

tory)."In"addition,"if"an "unhous e d "person"obtains "a"job ,"they"will"b e "required "by"la w"to"

complete"a"Form"I-9,"requiring"identification" docum entation."See%Form%I-9%Acceptable%

Documents,"U.S.$CITIZENSHIP$ &$IMMIGR.$SERVS.,"https://w ww.uscis.go v / i-9-central/form"

-i-9-acceptable-documents"[https:// perm a .cc/8 DD T- QAE3]."

291

." See%e.g.,"775 "ILL.$COMP.$STAT."45/10(a)(3)"(2021)"(“[Unhoused"persons"have]"

the"right"not"to"face"discrimination"while"maintaining"employment"due"to"his"or"her"

lack"of"permanent "m ailing "ad dre ss .”)."

2021]' RIGHTS'FOR'UNHOUSED'MINNESOTANS' 573!

goes!a!step!farther!in!implementing!the!goals!articulated!in!the!nega-

tive!rights! provisions.!These!supplem entary! measures!will! not!be! a!

magical!panacea!for!the!social!ill!of!homelessness,!but!they!can!enable!

the!systems!already!in!place!to!better!serve!the!unhoused.!

E.! THERE"IS"LITTLE"POLITICAL"WILL"TO"ENACT"PRO-UNHOUSED"

LEGISLATION!

The!legal!efficacy!of!Rhode!Island!Model!UBR!is!questionable,

292

and!their!effect!on!reducing!the!prevalen ce !or!conditions!of!homeless-

ness!is!unclear.

293

!When!faced!with!more!ambitious!models!of!UBR,!

jurisdictions!either!fail!to!implement!and!enforce!those!protections

294

or!decline!to!pass!the!law!altogether.

295

!It!may!be!that!the!most!useful!

purpose!of!a!UBR!is!the!public!education!and!sentiment!that!results!

from!advocating!for!pro-unhoused!legislation.

296

However,!strong!biases!against!the!unhoused!in!the!lawmaking!

processes!may!doom!these!efforts!before!they!can!gain!any!traction.!

Public! sympathy! for! the! unhoused! can! be! fickle,

297

! and! legislatures!

may!decide!to!invest!their!time!in! matters!with!a! greater!perceived!

return!on!investment.

298

!Securing!buy-in!and!support!from! p oliticians!

292

." See%supra%Parts"II.A–B."

293

." See%supra%Part"II.C."

294

." See%supra%notes"192–95"and"accompanying" text"(discussing"Puerto"Rico’s"ne -

glect"of"its"UBR"scheme)."

295

." See% supra% notes" 200–12," 220" (discussing" two" versions" of" Ca lifornia’s" pro -

posed"UBR,"neither"of"which"were"enacted"by"the"state"legislature)."

296

." See%supra%note"274"and"accompanying"text."

297

." See$supra%note"40,"at"19"(finding"that"58"to"87%"of"survey"respondents"be-

lieved"laziness,"pers on al"choice,"or"irrespo nsib le"behavior"were"sometimes,"u su ally ,"or"

almost" always" part" of" the"reason" people"were" unhoused);" see% also% Kalyn"Yasutake,$

Study%of%Perceptions%of%Homelessness%in%Billings,"CITY$OF$BILLINGS-CMTY.$DEV.$DIV."17"tbl.4"

(2014)," https://www.ci.billings.mt.us/Do cum e ntCe nter/V iew /25 82 4/"

PerceptionStudy-PDF" [https ://p erm a.cc/ 65C C- HQ5C]" (reporting" that" 47.6%" of" re-

spondents"to"a"Billings," M on tana"surv ey"believed "that"a"“Choice"to"be"Homeless”"con-

tributed"or" strong ly"contributed" to"homelessness," and "that"84.8% "believed"“Irresp on -

sible"Behavior"and"Bad"Choices"on"the"Hom eless"Person"The m selves ”"played"such"a"

role)."

298

." See% Maggie" Mulvihill"&"Lillian"Eden,"Homeless%Bills%of%Rights%Are%a%New%Itera-

tion%of%Anti-Discrimination%Laws,"HOWARD$CTR.$FOR$INVESTIGATIVE$JOURNALISM:"NOWHERE$

TO$ GO" (June" 29," 2020)," https://homeless.cnsmaryland.org/2020/06 /29/ hom eless"

-bill-of-rights"[http s://p erm a .cc/Q 3G Z-YZYW ]"(“Attempts"since"2013"to"pass"compa-

rable"[UBR]"laws"in"several"states,"including"C olora do,"Oregon"and"Californ ia,"were"de-

railed" beca use"of"a"lack"of"votes"or"othe r"pressing"priorities."Vermont’s"proposed"law"

was" headed" for" a" committee" vote" this"spring"when"COVID-19" hit.”);" see%also% Becca"

Book,"Homeless%Bill%of% Rights% Fizzles%Out% This% Session% but% Advocates% Continue%to% Lay%

Groundwork," URBANIST" (Mar." 22," 2019)," https://www "

574' MINNESOTA'LAW'REVIEW' [106:525!

has! been! identified! as! a! key! step! “in! pursuing! a! homeless! bill! of!

rights.”

299

! But! even! with! engaged! politicians,! the! success! of! a! UBR!

campaign! is! far! from! guaranteed.! The! substantive! and! procedural!

shortcomings!of!previous!measures!were!likely!shaped!by!the!chisel-

ing!effect!of!the!legislative!process

300

!or!affected!by!the!positioning!of!

UBR!as!an!incremental!part!of!a!since-delayed!or!altered!legal!strat-

egy.

301

The! UBR!campaign!in!Hawai’i!provides!an!instructive!example.!In!

2014,!a!Rhode!Island!Model!UBR—functionally!identical!to!the!Con-

necticut!law—was!introduced!into!the!Hawai’i!House!of!Representa-

tives.

302

!The!bill!was! passed!out!of!committee!and!received! three!read-

ings!on!the!floor!with!no!negative!votes!cast!against!it.

303

!The!Hawai’i!

Senate! held!a!public! hearing! and! passed!the!UBR! out! of! committee!

with!no!negative!votes,!but!it!was!referred!to!another!committee!and!

no!further!action!was!taken.

304

!The!next!year,!an!enhanced!version!of!

the!bill,

305

!was!introduced!in!the!Hawai’i!Senate.!That!version!received!

.theurbanis t.o r g / 2 0 19/03/22 / h o meless-bill-of-rights-fizzles- ou t-this- se ssion-but-

advocates-continue-to-lay-groundwork" [https://p erm a.cc/ SE B5-CBTB]" (“[T]he"

[Washington]"bill"has"faced"pushbac k."Reiterating"the "civil"rights"of"those"experiencing"

homelessness"requires"us"to"confront"deeply"seated"social"stigmas"."."." ."This"stirs"fears"

in"some" that"protecting" those " forced"to"live" in" public"view" could" lead"to"safety" an d "

health"concerns"in"these"spaces.”). "

299

." Bauman"&"Rankin,"supra%note"43,"at"7"(surveying"“advocates"across"the"na-

tion”"and"citing"the"importance"of"“building"a"broad"coalition"of"support"for"the"bill,"

including"legisl at or s”)."

300

." See,%e.g.,"id.%at"15"(“In "Rhode"Island,"although"the"initial"draft"of"the"bill"of"rights"

intended" to" include" anti-criminalization" m easures," the" final" bill’s" language" did" not"

mention"law"enforcement"due"to"opposition"from"police.”)."

301

." See,%e.g.,"Mulvihill"&"Eden,"supra%note"298"(reporting"that"a"201 3"attempt"to"

enact"a"UBR"in"California"was"“derailed"because"of"a"lack"of"votes"or"other"pressing"

priorities,”"but"that"the"2020"legislature"passed"a"bill"making"“housing"a"right"for"chil-

dren"and"families”"and" is"considering" a"constitutional"am endment"“declaring" housing"

a"human"right”)."

302

." See%H.B."1889"H.D."1,"27th"Leg.,"Reg."Sess."(Haw."2014)."Com pare%id.%at"1–2,"

with%CONN.$GEN.$STAT."§"1-500"(2021)."

303

." See% 2014% Archives:% HB1889% HD1," HAW.$ STATE$ LEG.," https:/ / www.capi to l"

.hawaii.gov / Archives/m e a s u r e_ in div_Archive s.a s p x ? b il lt ype=HB&bi lln u mber=188 9 & "

year=2014"[https://perma.cc/K7L6-WT3K]."

304

." See%id."

305

." The" negative"rights"provisions"of" this"bill"more"closely"resembled"the"Rhode"

Island"or"Illinois"UBR ."Compare%34"R.I.$GEN.$ LAWS$§"34-37.1-3"(2021),"with%S.B."1014"

S.D."1,"28th" Leg.,"Reg." Sess."(Haw."2015)." However,"it"also"contained"a"number"of" Cali-

fornia-style"positive"rights"such"as"“[t]he"right"to"sleep"in"a"leg ally"parked"automob ile ”"

and"“[t]he"equal" o pp ortu nity " to"have"twenty-fo ur - hou r"access"to"public"hygiene"facili-

ties.”"Compare%Assemb."B."5,"2013–2014"Leg.,"Reg."Sess.,"at"11–12,"14"(Cal."2012),"with%

S.B."1014"S.D."1,"28th"Leg.,"Reg."Sess.,"at"4"(Haw."2015)."

2021]' RIGHTS'FOR'UNHOUSED'MINNESOTANS' 575!

just!three!“no”!votes!across!three!committee!hearings

306

!and!passed!

its!final!Senate!vote!by!a!twenty-two!to!three!margin.

307

!However,!a!

house!committee!“recommend[ed]!that!the!measure!be!deferred.”

308

No!further!action! was!taken!on!that!bill.

309

!The!bill!was! introduced!

twice!more!over!the!years,!whittling!away!at!the!positive!rights!provi-

sion!each!time,

310

!but!never!received!another!final!floor!vote!in!any!

chamber.

311

!It!does!not!appear!that!a!UBR!has!been!submitted!to!the!

Hawai’i!Legislature!since!2018.!

The! Hawai’i! UBR! tried! multiple! approaches! to! the! law,! and! at!

times! the! measure! advanced! despite! including! ambitious! positive!

rights!grants,!but!the!legislature!never!passed!it!despite!a!half-decade!

of!efforts.!Even!with!politicians!dedicated!to!campaigning!for!the!UBR!

and!broad!support!in!every!chamber!vote!it!received,!Hawai’i’s!UBR!

invariably!fell!by!the!wayside!as!each!legislative!ses s ion!wore!on.!The!

pattern!has!repeated!itself!time!and!again!in!states!and!cities!across!

the!country.!Bills!are!introduced!but!die!in!committee!or!see!the!clock!

run!out!on!their!legislative!session.

312

!No!statewide!UBR!has!passed!

since!2013,

313

!and!there!do!not!appear!to!be!any!challengers!to!that!

streak!on!the!horizon.!

While!a!UBR!might!be!too!heavy!a!lift!for!many!state!legislatures,!

with!their!myriad!responsibilities!and!need!to!balance!the!competing!

interests!of!interest!groups,!political!advocacy!for!such!a!law!may!be!

more!effective!at!a!local!level.!Four!cities!have!passed!local!UBR,!and!

306

." Compared"to"17"“aye”"votes."See%2015%Archives:%SB1014% SD 1,"HAW.$STATE$LEG.,"

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/Archives/m easure_indiv_Archives.aspx?billtype="

SB&billnumber=1014&year=2015"[https://perma.cc/L8WE-RPAF]."

307

." Id."

308

." Id."

309

." See%id."

310

." See%S.B."589" S.D." 1,"29th"Leg.,"Reg."Sess." (Haw."2017)"(forgoing"the"right"to"

sleep"in"a "parked"automob ile"proposed"in"the"2015"bill);"S.B."2007"S.D."1,"29th"Leg.,"

Reg."Sess."(Haw."2018)"(forgoing"the"hygiene"facilities"provision).%

311

." See% 2017% Archives:% SB589% SD1," HAW.$ STATE$ LEG.," http s :/ / www.capi to l"

.hawaii.gov / Archives/measure_indiv_Archives.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumb er="

589&year=2017" [https://perma.cc/RXL8-E8ZN];" 2018% Archives:% SB2007% SD1," HAW.$

STATE$ LEG.," https://www.capito l.h a waii.gov/A r chives/mea su r e _i n d iv _ A r chives"

.aspx?billtyp e = SB&billnumber=2007&year=20 1 8 "[ h t tp s :/ / p e rma.cc/EV2D -8HB3]."

312

." See,%e.g.,%Bauman"&"Rankin,"supra %note"43,"at"18–19"(summarizing"the"legisla-

tive"posture" o f"unenacted" U BR "in"six"states)."There"have"b een "UBR"fo rm ally"proposed"

in"at"least"four"other"states"and"Washington"D.C."See%Homeless%Bill%of%Rights,$supra%note"

41"(listing"proposed"UBR)."

313

." See%supra%note"225"and"accompanying"text."

576' MINNESOTA'LAW'REVIEW' [106:525!

there!have! been!campaigns!in! at!least! four!more.

314

!There!can!be! a!

strong!rural-urban!divide!on!how!to!address!homelessness,!as!cities!

often!disproportionately!bear!the!expenses!associated!with!caring!for!

the!unhoused!of!an!entire!state.

315

!State-level!officials!must!often!rec-

oncile!this!conflict!between!their!cities!and!outstate!areas,!bargaining!

over!the!lives!of!unhoused!people!to!appease!recalcitrant!municipali-

ties.

316

!The!socioeconomic!conditions!that!lead!the!unhoused!to!con-

gregate!in!cities!are!unlikely!to!change.!Given!that!cities!already!com-

prise!a!greatly! disproportionate!share!of! their! states’!economies,

317

314

." Baltimore,"Maryland;"Traverse"City," Michigan;"Duluth,"M innesota;" and"Madi-

son,"Wisconsin"adopted"city-level"UBR."Homeless%Bill%of%Rights,$supra%note"41."New"Ha-

ven," Connecticut;"Knoxville,"Tennessee;"Detroit,"Michigan;"and"Washington,"D.C."have"

considered"such"a"measure."Id.%

315

." Hennepin"County,"home"to"Minneapolis,"contains"36%"of"the"observed" un-

housed"people"in"the" entire" state" of" Minnesota,"despite" being" home" to"just"23%"of" the"

population"of"the"state."This"split"is"17%" to" 10%" for" Ramsey" County,"hom e" to" St."Paul,"

and" 60%" to" 55%" when" considering" the" seven-county" Twin" Cities" Metro." St." Louis"

County," home" to" Duluth," exhibits" a" 6.7%" to" 3.5%" split." Compare% June" Heineman" &"

Michelle"Gerrard,$ Hennepin%County:%Characteristics%and%Trends%of%Those%Experiencing%

Homelessness% in% Minnesota," WILDER$ RSCH." 6" (2020)," http://"

mnhomeless.org/minnesota-homeless-study/reports-and-fact-sheets/2018/ 201 8-

hennepin-county-homeless-fact-sheet-1-20.pdf" [https://perma.cc/4V89-TMZ6]" (list-

ing"actual"coun t s"o f"un h o u se d "pe o p le"b y "co u n ty "in "th e"T win"Cities"Metro) ,"and"Home-

lessness% in%Minnesota:% A%Count% of%Those% Experiencing% H o m e le s sn e ss :% St.%Louis% County,$

WILDER$ RSCH.$ 2" (2019)," http://m nhomeless.orgm/minnesota-homeless-study/"

detailed-data-counts/2018/StLouis-2018-Homeless-Counts_3-19.pdf"

[https://perma.cc/EY3 G-M7WF]" (listing" the" actual" count"of" unhoused" people" in" St."

Louis"County),"and%WILDER $ RSCH.,"supra%note"36,"a t "ii"(listing"the"actual"count"of"un-

housed" people" in" Minnesota)," with" QuickFacts,$ U.S.$ CENSUS$ BUREAU," https://www"

.census.gov/ quickfacts"[https://perma.cc/ 6H52-E846])"(accessing"2020"Census" pop-

ulation" information" for" Minnesota" and" Hennepin," Ramsey," Anoka," Carver," Dakota,"

Scott,"Washington,"and"St."Louis"Counties)."

316

." See,%e.g.,"R a n d y "Billings,"New%Law%Is%Aimed% at%Easing%Burden%of%Homelessness%

on% Portland," PORTLAND$ PRESS$ HERALD" (July" 9," 2019)," https:// w w w "

.pressherald .c o m/2019/0 7 / 09/mills-signs- bill-aimed-at- ea sing-burden-of"

-homelessness-in-portland"[https://perma.cc/RW4X-SVTN]."Maine" G overnor"Janet"T."

Mills"signed"a"law"“oblig[ing"municipalities]"to"provide"shelter"for"their"own"residents.”"

Id.%However," the"law" does"not" require" municipalities"to"crea te%shelter,"merely"furnish"

shelter"if"it"already"exists."Id."The"law"only"received"the"endorsement"of"local"home-

lessness"service"group s"a fter"t he "City "of"P or tlan d "pr om ise d"n ot "to"b ill"m u nic ipalitie s"

for"the"costs"of"prov idin g "sh elte r"to "the ir"re sid en ts "w ho "se ek "se rv ice s"in"P o rtland."Id."

317

." For"examp le:"Hennepin"an d"Ramsey"Counties,"largely"predominated"by"the"

Twin"Cities"of"Minneapolis"and"St."Paul,"accounted"for"49%"of"Minnesota"GDP"in"2019,"

but"only"32%"of"its"population."Compare%FRED,"supra%note"264,"at"Gross%Domestic%Prod-

uct:%All%Industries%in%Hennepin%County,%M N%(G D PA LL2 70 53) ,"Gross%Domestic%Product:%All%

Industries%in%Ramsey%County,%MN%(GDPALL2 71 23 ),%Gross%Dom estic%Product:%A ll% Industry%

Total%in%Minnesota%(MNNGSP),"with%U.S.$CENSUS$BUREAU,"supra%note"315$(accessing"2019"

Census"population"estimates"for"Hennepin"and"Ramsey "Counties"and "Minne sota)."

2021]' RIGHTS'FOR'UNHOUSED'MINNESOTANS' 577!

they!should!embrace!their!role!as!a!destination!for!unhoused!people!

by!passing!progressive!homelessness!policies!on!a!local!level.!Such!a!

model!of!hyperlocal!federalism!could!result!in!a!free-rider!dilemma!

for! cities,! where! unhoused-friendly! municipalities! take! on! an! even!

more!disproportionate!share!of!the!responsibility!for!solving!home-

less!when!less!compassionate!cities!pass!the!buck.

318

!However,!cities!

contemplating! policies! to! aid! unhoused! people! should! accept! the!

moral! charge!regardless!of!what! other!states!and!municipalities!do.!As!

the!situation!is!now,!cities!nationwide!would!rather!drive!unhoused!

people!away!than!help!them!in!their!time!of!need.

319

!This!Note!pro-

poses!that!Minnesota! d ecline!to!take!part!in!this!endless!shuffle!of!hu-

manity.!Instead,!Minnesota!should!instead!extend!a!hand!to!our!un-

housed!neighbors!and!say,!“You!are!welcome!here.”

320

There!has!not!been!an!exhaustive!sociopolitical!history!written!

about!UBR!campaigns!nationwide,!but!the!empirical!results!suggest!

318

." See,% e.g.," Bussed% Out," GUARDIAN" (Dec." 2 0," 2017)," https://www"

.theguardia n .c o m/us-news/ng-intera ct ive / 20 1 7 /d e c/ 20 / b u ss ed-out-america-

moves-homeless-people-country-study" [http s://perm a.cc/JZR 7-J3 4 W]" (reporting"

data"from"sixteen"cities"showing"that"they"relocated"21,400"unhoused"people"by"b us"

over"seven"years)."“New"York"mayor"Michael"Bloomberg"lauded"his"ow n"city’s"bussing"

scheme" because" it" ‘saves" th e" tax payers" of" New" York" City" an" enormous" amount" of"

money’.”"Id.%Cities" may"also"relocate"unhoused" people"for"expressive"reasons."Now-

Senator" W illard"“Mittens”"Romney’s"tenure"as" p residen t"of" the "organizing"committee"

for"the "2002"Salt"Lake"City "Winter"Oly mpics"was"criticized"for"indifference"to"the"plight"

of" that"city’s"u nh oused ."See,%e.g.,"SLOC%Addresses%Hom eless%Concerns,"ASSOCIATED$PRESS"

(Apr." 5," 1999)," https://apnews.com / article/0ab938377349ac87d0c0c568e44d9a35"

[https://perma.cc/7W PL-WNQG]"(“‘We"will"not"be"building"housing."We’ll"be"hosting "

people"for"17"days"and"then"they"will"be"moving"on,’"Romney"said.”)."As"the"Olympic"

Games"approached,"it" was"widely"rumored"and"reported"tha t" Sa lt" La ke" C ity" b ussed "

thousands"of"unhoused"people"to"Denver,"Las"V ega s," and" Seattle."See,%e.g.,"Ro b e rt " L."

Jamieson," Jr.," Opinion," Salt% Lake% Busing% Its% Poor% Here?% Not% Likely,$ SEATTLE$ POST-

INTELLIGENCER" (Feb." 11," 2002)," https://ww w .seattlep i.com /ne ws/article/Salt-Lake"

-busing-its-poor-here-Not-likely-1080044.php" [https://perma.cc/4XHN-AZ9X]" (re-

porting"an"unhoused"person"from"Salt"Lake"City’s"claim"that"“the"h om eless"in"Salt"Lake"

City"had" been" given"a"choice—either"be"escorted"to" the" local"jail"or"take" a" ticket" to"

ride”)."“‘Either"Seattle,"Los"Angeles" or"Denver,’"[the"unhoused" man]" explained ." ‘And"

they"said"come" bac k" in" M arch .’”" Id ."The"Utah"government,"of"course,"denied"this"claim."

Compare%Timothy"Pratt,"Utah%Officials%Deny%Homeless%Sent%to%LV,"LAS$VEGAS$SUN,$(Oct."

25," 2001)" https://lasvegassun.com/news/2001/oct/25/utah-officials-deny"

-homeless-sent-to-lv" [http s:// pe rm a .cc/ 7T 8 6- 9A 6C]," with% Mike" Ginn"

(@shutupmikeginn)," TWITTER$ (No v." 20," 2013)," https://twitter.com/"

shutupmikeginn/status/4033 599 114 818 39617"[https://perma.cc/EN8Q-J3YU]"(“My"

‘Not"involved"in"human"trafficking ’"T-shirt"has"people"asking"a"lot"of"questions"already"

answered"by"my"shirt.”)."

319

." See%Foscarinis"et"al.,"sup ra%note"23,"at"146–47."

320

." See%Lazarus,"supra%note"1"(“Give"me"your"tired,"your"poor"."."."."Send"these,"the"

homeless"."."."to"me"."."." .” )."

578' MINNESOTA'LAW'REVIEW' [106:525!

that!these !measures!are!not!sought!out!or!prioritized!by!political!bod-

ies.!Perhaps!this!reflects!a!cost-benefit!analysis!on!the!part!of!lawmak-

ers.!If!negative!rights-centric!UBR!do!not!significantly!help!unhoused!

people,

321

!and!positive!rights!UBR!are!unlikely!to!be!enacted!by!a!leg-

islature,

322

!why!would!most!politicians!decide!to!stick!their!neck!out!

for!the!disenfranchised! when!public! support! for!actually! aiding! the!

unhoused!can!be!tenuous!at!best?

323

!Any!strategy!to!pass!an!Unhoused!

Bill!of!Rights!will!require!persistent!and!powerful!advocacy!to!over-

come!the! inertia!against!action!in!favor!of!the!unhoused!and!make!the!

case!for!an!effective!law.!!

Minnesota!must!pass!a!law!to!improve!upon!its!abysmal!protec-

tion!of!the!fundamental!rights!of!unhoused!people.!This!bill!of!rights!

for! unhoused! Minnesotans! will! need! more! specific! protections! and!

powerful! enforcement! mechanisms! than! existing! UBRs! in! order! to!

generate! the! litigation! needed! to! vindicate! the! rights! of! the! un-

housed.

324

!While! existing! UBR!have!questionable! impacts!on!home-

lessness!in!their!jurisdictions,

325

! and! homelessness! is! an! incredibly!

complicated!issue!resistant!to!silver-bullet!solutions,

326

!including!pro-

gressive!policy!proposals!such!as!public!hygiene!centers!in!a!Minne-

sota!UBR! would!convey!clear!and!measurable!benefits!to!unhoused!

people.

327

! Minnesotan! cities! show! no! indication! that! they! will! stop!

321

." See%supra%Parts"II.A–C."

322

." See,%e.g.,%sup ra%notes"302–11"and"accompanying"text"(discussing"the"failure"of"

the"Hawai’i"legisla tu r e"to"en ac t"a"UB R "that"in cl u de d "certain" p os itiv e"rights" p ro vis io n s,"

representing"over"a"half-decade"of"effort)."

323

." Polls" suggest" that" while"public"support" for" the"care"of" unhoused" people"is"

high,"a" lower"proportion"are"willing"to" take"local"responsibility."See,%e.g.,"Caroline"Spi-

vack,"Most%New%Yorkers%Support%Homeless%Shelters%in%Their%Neighborhood:%Poll,"CURBED:$

N.Y.$ (Apr." 23," 2019)," h ttps://n y.curb ed .com /2 019 /4/ 23 /18 513 079 /n ew-yorkers"

-support-homeless-shelters-neighborhood-poll-win" [https://perma.cc/D7LP-C6J4]"

(“[Ninety-two]" percent"[of"New"York"City"residents]"say" shelter" space"should"be"of-

fered"to"all"w h o "need"it"and"59"perce nt"said"they"wou ld "support"a"hom e les s"shelter"

opening"its"doors"in"their"community.”)."This"sort"of"“not"in"my"backyard”"gap"between"

expressed"values"and"tangible"action"is"extremely"common."See,%e.g.,%Greene,"supra%note"

19" (“‘We’re" all" libe rals,’" [a" Minn eap olis" resident]" said." ‘ We’re" all" sympathetic" and"

would"love"for"these"people"to"have"dignified"housing"and"to"get"the"social"services"."."."."

But"this"is"not"the"answer.’”)."

324

." See%supra"Parts"II.A–B."

325

." See%supra%Part"II.C."

326

." See%supra%Part"II.D."

327

." See%supra%note"218"and"accompanying"text"(discussing"the"potentia l"impact"of"

California’s"proposed"hygiene"centers"on"health "and"emp loym ent"outcomes"fo r"the"un-

housed)."

2021]' RIGHTS'FOR'UNHOUSED'MINNESOTANS' 579!

their!mistreatment!of!the!unhoused .

328

!As!they!are!unlikely!to!change!

course,!the!state!must!command!them!to!do!so,!and!a!UBR!is!the!clear-

est!way!to!do!so.!

!!III.!DRAFTING!AN!UNHOUSED!BILL!OF!RIGHTS!FOR!MINNESOTA!!!

Minnesota!must!enact!an!Unhoused! Bill!of! Rights.!Without!action,!

the!sta te’s!existing!homelessness!crisis

329

!will!become!even!more!dire!

once! current! federal! and! state! eviction! protections! expire.

330

! Un-

housed!people!in!Minnesota!are!regularly!subjected!to!inhumane!and!

unconstitutional!state!action

331

!with!little!recourse.

332

!These!are!pre-

cisely!the!conditions!a!UBR!is!intended!to!remedy.!A!UBR!with!robust!

negative!and!positive!rights!provisions,!and!strong!remedies!to!pro-

mote!enforcement!thereof,!will!provide!unhoused!Minnesotans!with!

much! more!powerful!protections!than!they!currently! enjoy.!Any!effort!

to!enact!an!Unhoused!Bill!of!Rights!will!face!cultural!and!institutional!

challenges,

333

!but!Minnesotans!are!charged!with!a!moral!imperative!

to!help!our!less!fortunate!neighbors.!

328

." See%Minneapolis%Police%Review%Force%Used%in%Homeless%Camp%Clash,"ASSOCIATED$

PRESS$ (Ma r." 19," 2021)," https://apnews.com/article/m edia-social-media-death-of"

-george-floyd-racial-inju s tice -arrests-5ae8bf31a6341931e6635ae1e3855544"

[https://perma.cc/UT6 A- VM FV]"(reporting"the"use"of"police"force"in"an"attempt"to"dis-

perse"an"encampment"on"the"Near"North"side"of"Minneapolis,"in"the"spring"of"2021).%

329

." See%supra%notes"69–76"(discussing"the"scale"and"characteristics"of"Minnesota’s"

unhoused"population)."

330

." See%supra%note"35"(discussing"the"October"2021"expiration"of"m o st"federal"and"

state"COVID-19"pandemic-related"eviction"protections);%MCDONOUGH,"supra"note"36,$at$

16"(estim ating "that"over"13,000"Minnesotans"could"be"evicted"when"eviction"p rotec-

tions"expire)."

331

." Compare"supra%notes"17–29"and"accompanying"text"(discussing"Minneapolis’"

actions"in"breaking"up"the"Powderhorn"Park"encampment),%and%Declaration"of"Patrick"

Berry,"supra% note"21,"at"3"(“It"is"really"cruel"what"the"city" is"doing."The"bulldo zers "are"

a"ridiculous"show"of"force."Why"couldn’t"they"just"pu ll"th e" tents" u p" by " ha nd?" T he y" just"

don’t"need"bulldozers.”),"with%U.S.$ CONST.$amend."IV"(“The"right"of" the"people"to" be"se-

cure"in"their"persons,"houses,"p apers,"and"effects,"against"unreasonable"searches"and"

seizures,"shall"n ot"be"violated".".".".”),"and"MINN.$CONST.$art."I,"§"10"(“The"right"of"the"peo-

ple"to"be"secure"."."."against"unreasonable"search es"and"seizures"shall"not"be"violated"

.".".".”),"and%supra%Part"I.B.2"(discussing"the"application"of"the"Fourth"Amendment"to"the"

living"spaces"and"prop erty "of"un h ou sed "p eop le) ."

332

." Berry"v."Hennepin"Cnty.,"No."20-CV-02189,"2020"WL"6337706,"at"*4"(D."Minn."

Oct."29,"2020)"(ruling"that"unhoused"encampment" residents"seeking" a"temporary"re-

straining"order"barring"the"clearing"of"park"encampments"did"not"prove"that"their"“al-

leged"harm"[was]"su fficien tly "certain"and"concrete”)."The"City"of"Minneapolis"w as"“suf-

ficiently" certain" and" concrete,”" however," when" they" cleared" the" encamp ment" in"

question"less"than"tw o"weeks"later."See%supra%note"29."

333

." See%supra%Part"II.E."

580' MINNESOTA'LAW'REVIEW' [106:525!

This! Part! proposes! that! Minnesota! adopt! an! Unhoused! Bill! of!

Rights! with!a!comprehensive!negative!rights!provision,!extensive!pos-

itive!rights!provisions,!and!procedural!grants!to!encourage!litigation!

under!the!law.!There!is!an!argument!to!be!made!elsewhere!for!a!sort!

of!“stealth”!UBR!in!which!select!provisions!are!enacted!separately!to!

effect!incremental!improvements!for!unhoused!people!at!a!lower!po-

litical!cost.!This!Note!proposes!an!omnibus!measure!encompassing!all!

of!the!discussed!m easures!which!would!improve!the!lives!of!unhoused!

people.!These!policies!are!necessary!no!matter!the!political!practical-

ities.!This!Note!refers!to!the!proposed!law!as!the!Bill!of!Rights!for!Un-

housed! Minnesotans! (BRUM),

334

! and! uses! the! present! tense! as! this!

Note!constitutes!a!proposal!of!the!law.!Section!A!outlines!the!negative!

rights! provisions! included! in! BRUM,! while! Section! B! enumerates!

BRUM’s! positive! rights! provisions.! Section! C! concludes!this!Part!by!

proposing! remedies! and! procedural! provisions! that! will! enable! the!

enforcement! of!BRUM’s!protections.!The!full!text!of!the!proposed!stat-

ute!is!provided!in!the! Appendix,!on! pages!171–78,!formatted!in! ac-

cordance!with!the!Minnesota!Revisor!of!Statutes’!drafting!practices.

335

A.! NEGATIVE"RIGHTS!

BRUM!defines!“unhoused!individual”!by!incorporating!portions!

of!the!U.S.!Code’s!general!definition!of! ho m eless!individual.

336

!Parts!of!

this!definition!ar e!used!in!other!Minnesota!laws,!indicating!the!state’s!

acceptance!of!the!definition!as!valid.

337

!Other!UBRs!have!used! this!def-

inition!in!setting!the!scope!of!their!laws.

338

!BRUM!is!designed!to!ex-

tend!protections!to!a!broad!group!of!people,!and!thus!broadens!the!

U.S.!Code’s!definition!by!excising!certain!limitations!on!coverage.!This!

coverage!includes!a!broadened!version!of!the!Code’s!definition!to!peo-

ple!at!imminent!risk!of!losing!housing,!so!that!people!at!risk!of!actual!

334

." Infra"Appendix"[hereinafter"BRUM]."When"this"Note"cross-references"pro vi-

sions"of"the"B ill"of" Rights"for"Unhoused"M inneso tans,"it" cites"the"internal"structure"of"

the"draft"statute."For"example,"“ See%infra%BRUM,"subdiv."3(A)(iv)”"refers"to"the"subsec-

tion" p reven ting" municipalities" from" criminalizing" the" act" of" sleeping" in" a" lawfully"

parked"vehicle."Please"note"that"Minnesota"Statutes"use"“subd.”"as"the"abbreviation"for"

“subdivision.”"BRUM"utilizes"Minnesota’s"preferred"format"while"the"footnote s"main-

tain"Bluebook"formatting."

335

." See%supra%note"334;"infra%BRUM."

336

." 42"U.S.C."§"11302;"see%infra%BRUM,"subdiv."1(A)."

337

." See%MINN.$STAT.$§"116L.361"subdiv."5"(2021)."

338

." CONN.$GEN.$STAT."§"1-500(1)"(2021)"(“For" p urposes"of"this"section,"‘ hom eless"

person’"has"the"same"meaning"as"in"42"U.S.C."§"11302,"as"amended"from"time"to"time.”)."

2021]' RIGHTS'FOR'UNHOUSED'MINNESOTANS' 581!

homelessness!can!use!the!rights!BRUM!offers!to!avoid!becoming!for-

mally!unhoused.

339

BRUM!incorporates!broadened!negative!rights!provisions!drawn!

from! the! Rhode! Island! Model! UBR.

340

! While! these! provisions! are!

largely!duplicative!of!existing!rights,

341

!reiterating!them!in!the!context!

of! BRUM! serves! two! key! purposes.! First,! they! provide! a! basis! for!

BRUM’s!positive!rights!provisions.!Second,!their!inclusion!brings!vio-

lations!of!those!rights!which!are!not!expressly!enumerated!as!positive!

rights!under!the!purview!of!BRUM’s!remedies!and!procedural!provi-

sions.!BRUM!strengthens!these!negative!rights!by!prohibiting!discrim-

ination!“solely!or!in!part”!because!an!individual!is!unhoused,

342

!which!

seeks!to!improve!on!the!legal!deficiency!of!current!UBRs’!“solely!be-

cause”!standard.

343

BRUM! incorporates! the! seven! negative! rights! contained! in! the!

Rhode!Island!Model!UBR,

344

!the!California!UBR’s!right!to!decline!shel-

ter!space!or!social!services!without!criminal!or!civil!sanctions,

345

!and!

a!particularization!of! the!Fourth! Amendment!to! the!person,! area!of!

residence,!and!personal!property!of!unhoused!people.

346

!The!analysis!

of!courts!contemplating!the!constitutional!rights!of!the!unhoused!in-

dicates!that!these!provisions!would!likely!be!upheld!against!a!consti-

tutional! challenge.

347

! BRUM! also! makes! retaliation! against! an! un-

housed! person! for! exercising,! enforcing,! or! insisting! on! their! rights!

339

." Compare"42"U.S.C."§"11302(a)(5)(A)(i)"(requiring"that"individuals"imminently"

at"risk"of"losing"their"housing"be"subject"to"a"court"order"to"vacate"within"14"days"in"

order"to"be"considered"unhoused),"with%infra"BRUM,"subdiv."1(A)(vi)(a)(1)"(requiring"

merely"that"the"individual"be"“subject"to"any"written"or"oral"threat"of"eviction,”"in"order"

to"extend"the"law’s"protections"to"individuals"while"they"are"in"a"housing-insecure"bu t"

still"pre-eviction"state)."

340

." Infra%BRUM,"subdiv."2(A)–(B),"(D)–(H)."

341

." See%supra%Part"II.A."

342

." Infra%BRUM,"subdiv."2."

343

." See% supra%note"254"and" accompanying"text."This"language"also"contemplates"

the" intersectio nality"of"homelessness"with"other"protected"statuses"such"as"race,"sex-

ual"orientation,"and"gender"identity."See%supra%notes"73–76"and"accompanying"text."

344

." Compare%supra%notes"174–80"and"accompanying" text,"with%infra%BRUM,"sub-

div."2(A)–(B),"(D)–(H)."

345

." Compare%Assemb."B."5,"2013–2014"Leg.,"Reg."Sess.,"at"11"(Cal."2012),"with%infra%

BRUM,"subdiv."2(K)."

346

." Infra%BRUM,"subdiv."2(C);"see%supra%notes"164–73"and"accompanying"text."

347

." See%supra%Part"I.B.2."

582' MINNESOTA'LAW'REVIEW' [106:525!

under!the!law!a!violation!thereof.

348

!The!retaliation!provision!also!au-

thorizes!damages!for!any!person!retaliated!against!for!exercising,!en-

forcing,!or!insisting!on!another’s!rights!under!BRUM.

349

These!rights!benefit!from!BRUM’s!enhanced!remedies!and!proce-

dural!provisions,

350

!encouraging!BRUM!violations!to!be!pled!alongside!

other!constitutional!or! statutory!violations.!While!not! exhaustive!of!

the!rights!unhoused!people!are!entitled!to,!the!listed!negative!rights!

provisions!are!vital!to!the!life-sustaining!activities!and!dignitary!con-

cerns!o f!unhoused!people.!Expressly!protecting!an!unhoused!person’s!

“right!to!use!and!move!freely!in!public!spaces”!can!prevent!the!over-

criminalization! of! homelessness! that! pervades! local! municipal!

codes.

351

!Recognizing!the!right!of!an!unhoused!person!to!be!free!from!

unreasonable!searches!and!seizures,!even!if!they!live!in!a!park,

352

!re-

inforces!“society’s!code!of!values!and!its!notions!of!custom!and!civil-

ity”!by!protecting!their!“last!shred!of!privacy!from!the!prying!eyes!of!

outsiders.”

353

!Homelessness!is!a!condition!which!leaves!its!sufferers!

particularly!disenfranchised!and!vulnerable.!Traditional!legal!frame-

works!have!often!failed!unhoused!people!but,!by!particularizing!exist-

ing! rights! and! protections! to! individuals! experiencing! homeless,!

BRUM!ensures!that!they!enjoy!the!full!protections!of!the!law.!!

Opponents!of!the!statute!may!argue!that!the!protections!granted!

by!BRUM!will!stifle!bona!fide!law!enforcement!concerns.

354

!This!worry!

is! misplaced.! The! provisions! of! the! law! are! tailored! to! permit! un-

348

." Infra%BRUM,"subdiv."3(I).%

349

." Id."This"provision"is"intended"to"promote"enforcement"of"BRUM"by"preventing"

adverse"action"against"organizations"and"individuals"providing"aid"to"the"unhoused."

See,%e.g.,%Class"Action"A m en d ed "Complaint,"supra%note"26,"at"49 "(provid in g "newsp a p e r "

photographs" of" Minneapolis" policemen" pepper-spraying" individuals" protesting" the"

clearing"of"an"unhoused"encampment)."

350

." See%infra%Part"III.C;"infra"BRUM"subdiv."4."

351

." Compare%infra%BRUM,"subdiv."2(A),"subdiv."3(A),"with%supra%notes"146–47"and"

accompanying"text"(discussing"constitutional"equal"protection"principles’"safeguard-

ing"of"the"fundamental"right"to"travel"as"grounds"to"protect"unhoused"peoples’"right"to"

perform"“ essential,"life-sustaining"acts"in"public”"(quoting "Pottinger"v."City"of"Miam i,"

810"F."Supp."1551,"1554"(S.D."Fla."1992)))."

352

." See%infra%BRUM,"subdiv."2(B)–(C)."

353

." Pottinger,"810"F."Supp ."at"15 72"(qu o t in g"Stat e "v."M o o n e y ,"588"A.2d"14 5 ,"161"

(Conn."1991));"s ee%also%supra%notes"152–60"and"accompanying"text"(discu ssing"the"ap-

plication"of"the"Fourth"Amendment"to"unhoused"people)."

354

." See,%e.g.,"Book,"supr a%note"298"(“Despite"these"benefits,"the"[UBR]"has"faced"

pushback."."."."[it]"did"not"pass"out"of"committee"."."."."Some"residents"who"are"in"favor"of"

sweeping"ho me less"encampments"try"to"imply"that"this"would"prevent"law "enforce-

ment"agents"from"so"much"as"talking"to"homeless"individuals.”)."

2021]' RIGHTS'FOR'UNHOUSED'MINNESOTANS' 583!

housed!people!to!perform!“essential,!life-sustaining!activities”!with-

out!fear!of!criminal!penalty.

355

!Nothing!in!the!law!prevents!an!arrest!

for!violent!crimes!or!even!crimes!against!private!property.

356

!BRUM!

merely! preserves!the!rights!of!unhoused!people!to!“enjoy!the!same!

rights!and!privileges!as!any!other!citizen!of!this!State.”

357

!Just!as!any!

Minnesotan! could! be! arrested! for! unlawful! behavior,! so! could! un-

housed!people!if!BRUM!was!enacted.!

B.! POSITIVE"RIGHTS!

BRUM’s!positive!rights!enumerations!provide!unhoused!people!

the!right!to!storage!of!their!personal!property

358

!and!the!right!to!hy-

giene!centers.

359

!These!rights!may!well!be!controversial,!as!they!are!

affirmative!grants!of!services!to!unhoused!people!that!are!likely!to!in-

cur!significant!costs.

360

!However,!they!are!vital!to!both!enabling!basic!

life-sustaining! activities! and! helping! unhoused! people! to! escape!

homelessness.!The!right!to!storage!would!allow!unhoused!people!to!

protect!important!documentation—such!as!birth!certificates,!identifi-

cation!cards,!or!medical!records—that!are!necessary!to!receive!bene-

fits!or!apply!for!jobs.

361

!Hygiene!stations!could!help!prevent!many!of!

the!diseases!and!conditions!that!affect!unhoused!people

362

!and!would!

work!to!prevent!employment!discrimination!that!can!result!from!an!

inability!to!clean!oneself.

363

355

." Cf.%Pottinger,"810"F."Supp."at"1554.%

356

." See%infra%BRUM,"subdiv."1(B)(ii)."

357

." Infra%BRUM,"subdiv."2."

358

." Infra%BRUM,"subdiv."2(J);"see%supra%notes"288–90"and"accom panying"text"(dis-

cussing"the"origins"of"this"proposal)."

359

." Infra%BRUM,"subdiv."2(K);"see%supra%note"211"and"accompanying"text"(discuss-

ing"the"origins"of"t his "p ro p os a l)."

360

." See%NICOL,%supra%note"219,"at"2" (fin din g "th a t"p ro v idin g "h yg ie ne "ce n ter s"in "C a l-

ifornia"would"have"cost"$ 21 6 "million"to"establish"and"$81"m illio n "to"operate"annually)."

361

." Compare,% e.g.,% sup ra% note" 290" (discussing" the" identification" documents"

needed"to" apply"for"federal" SSI"and"SSDI"benefits"or"prove"one’ s"eligibility"to" wo rk"by"

completing"a"Form"I-9),"with"Declaration"of"Henrietta"Brown,"supra%note"153,"at"3"(de-

scribing"th e"loss"of"an"unho used"person’s"birth"certificate"and"identification"in"an"early"

morning"encampment"sweep)."

362

." See,%e.g.,%supra%note"66."

363

." See%Childers,"supra%note"218"(discussing"the"importan ce"of"hygiene"to"the"em-

ployment"prospects"of"unhoused"people)."

584' MINNESOTA'LAW'REVIEW' [106:525!

Furthermore,!both!of! these!measures!would!help!protect!the!dig-

nity!of!unhoused!individuals.!Unhoused!people!are!at!risk!of!losing!be-

longings! of! great! emotional! value! to! them,

364

! and! some! courts! are!

loath!to! recognize!this!risk! as!worth!protecting.

365

!Storage!facilities!

would!allow!unhoused!people!to!keep!their!most!precious!possessions!

safe,!giving!them!a!sense!of!security!and!an!emotional!tether!to!their!

lives!before!homelessness.!Similarly,!ensuring! unhoused!people!can!

use!the!bathroom,!wash!themselves!or!their!clothing,!and!safely!and!

cleanly! change! or! breastfeed! their! children! protects! universal! per-

sonal!needs!that!unhoused!people!often!have!trouble!fulfilling.!

BRUM! also! provides! unhoused! individuals! the! right! to! decline!

shelter!space!or!social!services!without!opening!themselves!up!to!the!

criminalization! of! their! essential,! life! sustaining! activities.

366

! This!

measure!closes!the!loophole!left!by!Martin'v.'City'of' Boise,!which!with-

holds! Eighth! Amendment! protections! against! the! criminalization! of!

living!in!public!places!if!there!are!shelter!beds!available.

367

!Courts!and!

law!enforcement!authorities!in!Minnesota!have!relied!on!the!availa-

bility!of!shelter!beds,!even!when!they!were!not!actually!available,!to!

364

." See,%e.g.,"Declaration"of"Henrietta"Brown,"supra%note"153,"at"3"(repo r ti n g "fa m-

ily"photos"among"items"lost "in"the"s weep"of"an"unhou s ed "encampment);"Declaration"of"

Patrick"Berry,"supra%note"21,"at"5"(reporting"“sacred"Native"Am erican"objects"and"[his]"

dad’s"ashes”"among"an"unhoused"person’s"belongings)."

365

." See,%e.g.,"Berry"v." Hennepin" Cnty.," No."20-CV-02189," 2020"WL"6337706," at"*4"

n.2"(D."Minn ."Oct."29,"2020)"(“Were"they"to"lose"essential"possessions,"the"Encampment"

Plaintiffs"argue"that"loss"would"be"both"devastating"and"traumatizing."."."."But"."."."the"

record"[does"not]" reflect,"that"the"harm " arising"from"such"a"loss"would"be"irrepara-

ble.”)."

366

." Infra%BRUM,"subdiv."2(I);"see%supra%note"200"and"accompanying"text"(discuss-

ing"the"origins"of"t his "p ro p os a l)."

367

." Compare%Martin"v."City"of"Boise,"902"F.3d"1031,"1048"(9th"Cir."2018)"(confin-

ing"its"restriction"on "th e"cr im in a liz at ion "o f"th e"u se "of"p u b lic "pl ac es "to "tim e s"a n d"p la c es "

where"“there"is"a"greater"num ber"of"homeless"individ uals"in"[a"jurisdiction]"than"the"

number"of" available" beds" [in" shelters]”)," and% City"of" Boise" v."M artin," 140" S."Ct." 674"

(2019)" (m e m .)"(denying"certiorari,"thus"leaving"the"Martin"rule" in"place"for"the"Ninth"

Circuit),"with%Elizabeth"Chou,"L.A.%City%Council%Discusses%‘Anti-Camping’%Law%Aimed%at%

Homeless% Encampments,% but% Tables% It% for% Now,% L.A.$ DAILY$ NEWS$ (Oct." 30," 2020),"

https://www.dailynews.com/2020/10/28/ban-on-sitting-lying-down-sleeping-in "

-public-areas-to-be-taken-up-by-the -la - city-council" [https://perm a.cc/V48V-SJJS]"

(discussing"a"proposed"ordinance"in"Los"A nge les,"California"tha t"would"circumvent"the"

rule"in"Martin"yet"still"“prevent" people"from" staying"in"public"areas"if"they"have"been"

offered"shelter”)."See%generally%supra%notes"148–51"and"accompanying"text"(discussing"

the"ruling"and"scope"of"Martin)."

2021]' RIGHTS'FOR'UNHOUSED'MINNESOTANS' 585!

justify!the!clearing!of!encampments.

368

!In!preventing!dubious!claims!

by!city!officials!of!available!shelter!space

369

!from!being!used!as!a!pre-

text!for!unconstitutional!treatment,!BRU M!allows!unhoused!individu-

als!to!better!exercise!their!rights.!

It!is!questionable!whether!provisions!seeking!to!prohibit!job!ap-

plications!from!requiring!an!address!or!disclosure!of!a!criminal!his-

tory!are!best!proposed! as!a!part!of!BRUM.

370

!These!measures!are! vital!

to! executing! BRUM’s! anti-discrimination! provisions,! but! may! have!

complicated! enough! implications! to! justify! spinning! them! off! into!

standalone!laws.!However,!the!fact!that!these!provisions!benefit!a!far!

broader! group! than! just! unhoused! people! could! draw! attention! to!

BRUM,! engender! larger! debate! and! discussion,! and! ultimately! help!

BRUM!pass.!As!a!result,!they!are!included!in!the!proposed!statute.

371

Certain! measures! were! considered! for! inclusion! in! BRUM! but!

deemed!too!unlikely!to!pass,!even!as! a!hypothetical!bill.

372

!Others!deal!

with!incredibly!complicated! policy!areas!that!are! not!well-encapsu-

lated!in!an!unhoused!bill!of!rights.!For!example,!Minnesota!should!fol-

low!Seattle’s!example!and!enact!an!annual!moratorium!on!evictions!

368

." Compare%Berry," 2020"WL"633770 6 ,"at"*4"(“If" sh elter"space"is" av ailab le"."."."the"

possible" harm" that" the" Encampment" Plaintiffs" might" face" if" encampments" are" dis-

banded"would"be"mitigated.".". "."The"City"of"Minneapolis"and"Hennepin"County"maintain"

that"shelter" o ption s"are"av ailab le.”)"with%Lauren"Josephine" (@ YoLarryJohnson),"supr a%

note" 31" (“There" are" ZERO" shelter" beds," shelters" are" completely" full.".".". " Hennepin"

county"&"MPD"delivered"an "eviction"notice"to"an"encampm ent"today"with"zero"alterna-

tives"given"WHILE"IT"WAS"H AILIN G "ON "US.”)."

369

." See%Lee,"supra%note"100"(“Hennepin"County’s"network"of"[emergency]"shelters"

."."."[is]"very"close"to"a"hundred"percent"utilization"on"a"daily"basis.”)."

370

." See%supra%notes"283–87"and"accompanying"text"(discussing"“ban"the"address”"

and"“ban"the"box”"proposals)."

371

." Infra%BRUM,"subdiv."3(C)–(D)."

372

." For"example," this" Note" initially" considered" a" cause" of"action" to" comp el" the"

rental"of"vacant"residential"properties."Hundreds"of"residential"prop erties"in"the"Tw in"

Cities"remain"empty"year"after"year,"despite"city"fines"for"such"vacancies."See" Andy"

Mannix,"Minneapolis%Still%Battling%Against%Vacant%Properties—Even%in%Housing%Short-

age," STAR$ TRIB." (Ju ne" 2," 2018)," https://www.startribune.com/m inn eap olis-still"

-battling-against-vacant-properties-even-in-housing-shortage/484391031"

[https://perma.cc/45Y8-WK5Q]" (“Nearly" 340" residential" buildings" sit" empty" and"

boarded" across" Minneapolis," despite"a" severe" housing"shortage" and" a" steep" vacant"

property"fee"that"has"raised"$20"million"for"city"services"over"the"past"decade.”)."These"

properties"could"be"put"to"use"through"a"measure" that"allows"a"private"right"of"action"

against"property"owners"to"compel"the"renting"of"unused"residential"properties"at"a"

reasonable"market"rate"after"a"calendar"year"of"vacancy,"while"simultaneously"increas-

ing"the"penalty"on"vacan t "properties"to"put"pressure"on"landlords"to"comply."However,"

this"provision"could"be"subject"to"strong"legal"challenges"as"a"reg ulato ry"taking,"and"

could"prove"politically"unpopular."Thus,"it"was"too"heavy"a"lift"even"for"a"student"note."

586' MINNESOTA'LAW'REVIEW' [106:525!

during!winter!months.

373

!Such!a!moratorium!would!likely!survive!le-

gal!challenges,

374

!and!could!be!a!highly!effective!measure!in!prevent-

ing! individuals! from! becomin g ! unhoused! during! a! time! when! the!

frigid!weather!could!be!dangerous!to! their!health!and!safety!to!live!

outside.

375

!However,!such!an!eviction!ban!would!be!incredibly!contro-

versial!and!require!political!and!legal!fights!all!its!own.

376

!Narrower!

and! more! technocratic! solutions—such! as! automatically! expunging!

eviction! filings! which! end! in! a! settlement! or! victory! for! the! tenant,!

thus! lowering!bar riers! to! rental! for! those!who!have! struggled! with!

housing

377

—are!likely! best!addressed!as!standalone!legislative! pro-

posals.

378

C.! REMEDIES"AND"PROCEDURAL"PROVISIONS!

Key!to!the!execution!of!BRUM’s!entire!scheme!is!its!collection!of!

remedies!and!procedural!provisions.!BRUM!first!imports!the!Rhode!

373

." See%Daniel"Suitor,"It’s%Colder%Day%by%Day:%A dop ting%a%W in ter%Eviction%Morato-

rium% in% Minnesota," MINN.$ L.$ REV.:$ DE$ NOVO$ (Apr." 16," 2021)," https://"

minnesotalawreview.org/2021/04/16/its-co lder-day- by-day-adopting-a-winter"

-eviction-moratorium-in -minnesota/"[https://perma.cc/9L5Y-TVXU]"(analyzing"a"Se-

attle"ordinance"that"prevents"most"evictions"from"November"through"February" each"

year)."

374

." See% Rental" Hous." Ass’n" v." City" of" Seattle," No." 20-2-13969-6," slip" op." at" 20"

(Wash."Super."Ct." Feb ." 24 ,"2 020 )" (up hold ing" S eattle’s" w inter" eviction"ban "against" a"va -

riety"of"facial"challenges)."

375

." Compare%W ILD ER $ RSCH.,"sup ra%note"36,"at"36 "(finding"that"41%"of "unhoused"

Minnesotans"reported"eviction"or"foreclosure"as"a"reason" for"leaving"their"last"home),"

with"Andrew"Krueger,"Temperatures%Plummeted% to%as%Low%as% 50%Below%Zero%in% M inne-

sota% on% Saturd ay% Morning," MINN .$ PUB.$ RADIO$ NEWS$ (Feb." 14 ," 2021),"

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2021/02/13/temperatures-plummeted-to"

-as-low-as-50-below-zero-in-minnesota-on-saturday-morning"

[https://perma.cc/7KX 5-2H XX]."

376

." See,%e.g.,"Kriston"Capps,"Landlords%Challenge%U.S.%Eviction%Ban%and%Continue%to%

Oust% Renters," BLOOMB ERG $ C IT Y$ LAB$ (Oct." 22," 2020)," https://w w w "

.bloomberg .c o m/news/ a rt ic le s / 2 0 2 0 -10-22/landlords-launch-legal-attack-on-cdc-

eviction-ban"[https://perma.cc/5DLF-ZKRY]"(discussing"a"lawsuit"filed"by"a"nonprofit"

representing"“some"85,000"landlords"responsible"for"10"million"rental"units”"challeng-

ing"the"CDC’s"“national"moratorium"on"evictions”"during"the"CO VID-19"pandemic)."

377

." See%Ashley"Meeder,"Guilty%Until%Expunged:%How%Minnesota’s%Public%Records%P ol-

icies% Needlessly% Burden % Re nt er s ," MINN.$ L.$ REV.:$ DE$ NOVO" (Nov." 23," 2020)," https://"

minnesotalawreview.org/2020/11/23/guilty-until-expunged-how- minnesotas"

-public-records-policies-needlessly-burden-renters/" [https://perma.cc/U4ZW -Z9YJ]"

(“If"you "have"$ 28 5"for"a"filing"fee"and"20 "minutes"to"fill"o ut"a"form "in"M inn eso ta,"you"

can"ruin"someone’s"life.”)."

378

." This"sort"of"technical"and"relatively"inoffen sive—but"highly"effective—meas-

ure"could"likely"be"passed" in"a"fraction" of"the"time"and"with"far" less"controversy" than"

BRUM."

2021]' RIGHTS'FOR'UNHOUSED'MINNESOTANS' 587!

Island!Model’s!basic!permission!of!actual!damages,!injunctive!and!de-

claratory! relief,! and! attorney’s! costs! and! fee! awards! for! prevailing!

plaintiffs.

379

!It!also!makes!punitive!damages! available!to!the!extent!al-

lowed!under!Minnesota!law.

380

!Furthermore,!it!authorizes!treble!ac-

tual!damages!for!willful,!wanton,!or!aggravated!misconduct!in!violat-

ing! BRUM! as! well! as! for! r etaliation! when! proved! by! clear! and!

convincing!evidence.

381

!Finally,!BRUM!requires!statutory!damages!of!

$8,500!per!violation.

382

!The!existence!of!statutory!damages!will!not!be!

submitted!to!jury,!nor!may!they!consider!it!in!their!damages!evalua-

379

." Compare%infra%BRUM,"subdiv."4(C),%with%34"R.I.$GEN.$LAWS$§"34-37.1-4"(2021)."

380

." Infra"BRUM,"subdiv."4(E)."Minnesota’s"pu nitive"damages"statute"is"as"follows:"

(a)"Punitive" dam ages" shall"be" allowed"in"civil"actions" only" up on" clear"and "

convincing"evidence"that"the"acts"of"the"defendant"show"deliberate"disregard"

for"the"rights"or"safety "o f"oth er s."

(b)"A "defendant"has"acted"w ith "deliberate"disregard"for"the"rights"or"safety"

of"others"if"the" defendant" has" know ledge" of" facts" or" intentionally"disregards"

facts"that"create"a"high"prob a b ility "of"injury"to"the"rights"or"safety"of"o th er s"

and:"

"(1)"deliberately"proceeds"to"act" in" conscious" or"intentional"disregard"of"

the" high" degree" of" probability" of" injury" to" the" rights" or" safety" of""

others;"or"

"(2)"deliberately"proceeds"to"act"with"indifference"to"the"high"probability"

of"injury"to"the"rights"or"safety"of"others."

MINN.$STAT."§"549.20"subdiv."1"(2021).%

381

." Infra%BRUM," subdiv." 4(D)."The" treble"damages"provision" is"intended"to"over-

come"the"problem"of"small"actual"damages"awards."Simply"put,"unhoused"people"have"

few"belo ng in g s"of"g re at"value"to"th e"law."While"bulldozing"a"tent" and"its"contents"may"

destroy"the"entire"net"worth"of"an"unhoused"person,"the"monetary"damages"for"such"a"

violation"may"total"only"a"few"hundred"dollars"at"most."See%e.g.,"Declaration"of"Henrietta"

Brown,"supra%note"153,"at"3."The"extension"of"treble" damages"to"the"retaliation" cause"

of"action"creates"a"strong"disincentive"for"police"departments"to"use"excessive"force"

when"members"of"the"community"protest"the"inhumane"and"unconstitutional"treat-

ment"of"the"unhoused."See,%e.g.,%supra%note"18"and"accompanying"text"(discussing"Min-

neapolis"police’s"use"of"pepper-spray"to"disperse"a"crowd"protesting"the"clea ring"of"the"

Powderhorn"encampment);" Minneapolis% Police%Review%Force%Used%in%Homeless%Camp%

Clash,"supra%note"328"(discussing"an"in terna l"investigation"into" the"use"of"police"force"

on" a"crowd" protesting"the"clearing"of"an"encampm ent"on"the"Near"North"side"of"M in-

neapolis).%

382

." Infra% BRUM,"subdiv." 4(F)." This" statutory"damages" figure" was" calculated" to"

provide"a"life-altering"sum" of" m oney"after"a" 33%"attorney’s"con tingent"fee" aw ard."See%

Bridgette"Watson,"A%B.C.%Research%Project%Gave%Homeless%People%$7,500%Each—The%Re-

sults% Were% ‘Beautifully% Surprising’," CANADIAN$ BROAD.$ CO.$ (Oct" 07 ," 202 0),"

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/new-leaf-project-results"

-1.5752714"[https://perm a.cc/WC6Q-DWHH]"(finding"that"the"unhoused"recipients"of"

$5,745"U SD"grants"spent"fewer"days"unhoused"than"a"control"group"and"moved"into"

stable"housing"two"months"faster"on"average)."

588' MINNESOTA'LAW'REVIEW' [106:525!

tions,!in!order!to!ensure!that!unhoused!people!are!receiving!full!rec-

ompense!on!the!merits!of!the!violations!against!them.

383

!These!dam-

ages!provisions!sh ould!create!larger!damage!awards!for!the!violations!

against!unhoused!people,!thus!enticing!more!lawyers!to!take!on!un-

housed!clients.!!

Critics!of!these!remedies!would!likely!portray!them!as!excessive!

and!complain!about!the!ever-present!boogeyman!of!“unnecessary!and!

abusive! litigation”!and!“frivolous! lawsuits”! burdening!the!legal! sys-

tem.

384

!These!provisions!are!vital!for!two!key!reasons.!First,!existing!

UBRs!do!not!generate!sufficient! litigation! to!vindicate!the!rights!of!un-

housed!people.!That!is,!they! cannot!be!said!to!generate!any'meaningful!

amount!of!litigation.

385

!There!are!practical!difficulties!to!working!with!

unhoused! clients,

386

! but! these! individuals! deserve! the! same! oppor-

tunity!to!enforce!their!constitutional!rights.!Financially!incentivizing!

lawyers!to!represent!unhoused!people!in!these!cases!is!an!acceptable!

method!of!enabling! the!effective!vindication!of!the!rights!of!the!un-

housed.! Second,! these! remedies! could! help! lift! individuals! out! of!

homelessness.!It!takes!a!relatively!meager!sum!of!money!to!get!indi-

viduals!out!of!homelessness.

387

!By!penalizing!parties!who!mistreat!un-

housed! people,! BRUM! shifts! the! financial! burden! of! ameliorating!

homelessness!onto!bad!actors.!The!prohibitive!damages!a!city!could!

face!for!repeated!or!large-scale!violations!of!the!rights!of!the!unhoused!

may! even! incentivize! municipalities! to! proactively! invest! in! ending!

homelessness! in! their! jurisdiction! rather! than! risk! damages! from!

careless!or!callous!law!enforcement!behavior.

388

383

." Infra%BRUM,"subdiv."4(F)."If"the"issue"of"statutory"damages"could"be"consid-

ered"by"the"jury,"it"might"result"in"reduced"dam age"awards"to"account"for"“built-in”"

damages."

384

." See,%e.g.,"Smith%&%Grassley%Introduce%Bill%to%Com bat%Lawsuit%Abuse,"SENATE.GOV:$

CHUCK$ GRASSLEY$ (Feb." 5," 2015)," https://www.g r a ss le y .s enate.gov/n e ws/news"

-releases/smith-grassley-introd uc e - bill-comb at-la w su it-abuse-0"

[https://perma.cc/J6GX-T8HM]"(“Lawsuit"abuse"is"common"in"America" because"the"

lawyers"who"bring"these"frivolous"cases"have"everyth in g"to"gain"and "nothing"to"lose.”)."

385

." See%supra%notes"250–54"and"accompanying"text"(finding"four"reported"cases"

in"twenty-five "cu m u la tiv e"y ea rs "of"U B R "co ve ra g e)."

386

." See%supra%notes"67,"186."

387

." See%Watson,%supra%note"382."

388

." But%cf.%Walker"Orenstein,"As%Chauvin%Trial%Gets%Under%Way,%Lawmakers%Remain%

at% Odds% Over% Paying% for% Security," MINNPOST$ (Mar." 9," 2021)," https://www"

.minnpost.c o m/state-government/2021/03/as-chauvin-trial-gets-under-way-law-

makers-remain-at-odds-over-paying-for-security" [https://perma.cc/V9FJ-5GPM]"

(discussing"proposals"to"spend"$20 "to"$35"millio n"on" security"measures"surrounding"

Derek"Chauvin’s"trial"for"the"murder"of"George"Floyd)."

2021]' RIGHTS'FOR'UNHOUSED'MINNESOTANS' 589!

BRUM!also!authorizes!a!court!to!issue!a!restraining!order!against!

a!party!who!is!violating!or!will!violate!any!provision!of!this!statute.

389

This!restraining!order!is!subject!to!a! lower!burden!of!proof!in!order!to!

better!protect!unhoused!people!given!the!ability!of!local!governments!

and!law!enforcement!to!suppress!evidence!of!imminent!harmful!ac-

tions! against! them.

390

! Private! civil! enforcement! is! key! to! BRUM’s!

scheme,!but!the!law!also!provides!the!Attorney!General’s!office!with!

the!pow er!to!investigate!and!file!charg es!under!the!statute.

391

!In!addi-

tion,!it!provides!the!AG!and!homelessness-centric!nonprofits!the!abil-

ity!to!inter v ene!of!right!in!BR UM !cases.

392

!The!Attorney!General!likely!

cannot!intervene!against!state!officers!and!entities,

393

!but!public!en-

forcement!would!still!be!available!against!municipalities!for!their!ar-

ray!of!anti-unhoused!laws.

394

As!proposed,!BRUM!is!an!omnibus!measure!including!a!wide!ar-

ray!of!legal!structures!and!policy!proposals!which!would!improve!the!

lives!of!unhoused!people.!This!Note!encourages!the!Minnesota!Legis-

lature!to!take!up!this!law.!Unhoused!Minnesotans!are!Minnesotans!all!

the!same.!BRUM’s!negative!rights!provisions,!when!coupled!with!its!

remedies!and!enforcement!mechanisms,!would!help!unhoused!peo ple!

actually! enjoy! the! rights! we! all! share.! The! policy! proposals! within!

would!improve!the!lives!of!the!unhoused!and!may!even!save!a!large!

number!of!lives.!Even!if!some!of!BRUM’s!provisions!were!set!aside!in!

the! inescapable! chiseling! of! the! legislative! process,! many! could! be!

taken!up!as!standalone!laws.!Minnesota’s!cities!systemically!reject!and!

harass!unhoused!people!in!an!effort!to!foist!them!off!to!some!other!

municipality.

395

!It!is!time!for!the!North!Star!State!to!put!an!end!to!this!

unlawful!and!immoral!treatment!of!its!own!people.!Minnesota!must!

adopt! a! bill! of! rights! for! its! unhoused! people.! Failure! to! do! so! will!

389

." Infra%BRUM,"subdiv."4(G)."

390

." Compare%supra%note"29"(discussing"a"cou rt’s"finding"that"the"harm"posed"by"

the"clearing"of"an"unhoused"encampment"wa s"not"“sufficiently"certain"an d"concrete,”"

only"for"that"encampment"to"be"cleared"less"than"two"weeks"later),"with%Class"Action"

Amended"Complaint,"supra%note"31,"at"46"n.2"(discussing"the"Minneapolis"Park"&"Rec-

reation"Board’s"efforts"to"keep"the"dates"of"encampment"sweeps"hidden"from "the"pub-

lic)."

391

." Infra%BRUM,"subdiv."5(A)(i)."

392

." Infra%BRUM,"subdiv."5(A)–(B)."

393

." See% MINN.$STAT.$§$8.06"(2021)"(emphasis"added)"(“The"attorney"general"shall"

act"as"the"attorney"for" all"state"officers"and"all"boards"or"comm issions"created "by"law "

in"all"matters"pertaining"to"their"official"duties.”)."

394

." See,%e.g.,"No%Safe%Place,%supra %note"125,"at"63"(listing"twelve"laws"criminalizing"

basic"activities"of"unhoused"people"in"Minneapolis"and"St."Paul)."

395

." See%supra%notes"135–40"and"accompanying"text."

590' MINNESOTA'LAW'REVIEW' [106:525!

strain!the!state’s!credibility!as!a!protector!of!laws!and!permanently!

stain!the!conscience!of!its!people.!

!!CONCLUSION!!!

Minnesota’s! homelessness! crisis! is! not! going! anywhere.! Try! as!

they!might,!officials!and!offended!residents!will!not!rid!themselves!of!

unhoused!people!through! cruel!and!inhumane! treatment!under!the!

law.!There!is!likely!to!be!a!post-COVID!wave!of!homelessness!brought!

on!by!widespread!evictions!once!existing!eviction!protections!expire.!

The! self-perpetuating! cycle! of! homelessness! means! that! Minnesota!

must! prepare!to!protect!the!rights!of!more!and!more!unhoused!people!

for!years!to!come.!A!Bill!of!Rights!for!Unhoused!Minnesotans!will!not!

solve!homelessness!alone,!but!it!will!protect!homeless!people!while!

we!improve!the!full!range!of!social!and!economic!programs!intended!

to!rem edy!and!prevent!homelessness!altogether.!We!should!not!allow!

our!friends,!family,!and!neighbors!to!suffer!the!pain!and!indignity!of!

homelessness!without!recourse.!Our!“tired,![]our!poor!.!.!.!the!home-

less”!deserve!better!from!our!system!of!laws,!and!it!is!our!moral!duty!

to!secure!it!for!them.

396

." See%Lazarus,"supra%note"1."

2021]' RIGHTS'FOR'UNHOUSED'MINNESOTANS' 591!

!APPENDIX:!A!BILL!OF!RIGHTS!FOR!UNHOUSED!MINNESOTANS!!

2022#Minnesota#Statutes#

___.___#A#BILL#OF#RIGHTS#FOR#UNHOUSED#MINNESOTANS#

Subdivision"1."Definitions."

(A)"Unhoused!Individual."For" the"pu rposes"of"this"law,"“unhoused"individ-

ual”"means"any"of"the"following"persons."Someone:"

(i)"who"lacks"a"fixed,"regular,"and"a d eq u a te"n ig h ttime"residence;

397

(ii)"""with"a"primary" nighttime"residence"that"is"a"public"or"private" place"

not"designed"for"or"ordinarily"used"as"a"regular"sleeping"accom modation"

for"human"beings,"including"a"car,"park,"sidewalk,"abandoned"building,"

bus"or"train"station,"airport,"or"camping"ground;

398

(iii)"""living"in"a"supervise d "p ub licly "o r"privately"operated"sh elte r"desig-

nated"to"provide"temporary"living"arrangements"(including"hotels"and"

motels"paid"for"by"Federal,"State,"or"local"government"programs"for"low-

income"individuals"or"by"cha rita b le "organizat ion s ,"congrega te"shelters,"

and"transitional"housing);

399

(iv)"""who"resided"in"a"shelter"or"place"not"meant"for"human"habitation"

and" who" is" exiting" an" institution " where" he" or" she" temporarily" re-

sided;

400

(v)"""fleeing,"or"atte m p t ing "to"flee,"dome st ic"violence,"dating"violence,"sex -

ual"assault,"stalking,"or"other"dangerous"or"life-threatening"conditions"in"

their"current"housing"situation ,"including"where"the"health"and "safety"of"

children"are"jeopardized;

401

or"

(vi)"""who"will"imminently"lose"their"housing,"including"housing"they"own,"

rent," o r"live"in" with out"paying"rent,"are"sharing"w ith"others," and "ro om s"

in"hotels "or"mo te ls"not"p a id "for"by"Federal,"State,"or"local"gov ern ment"

programs"for"low-income"individua ls"o r"b y "c ha rit ab l e"o rg an iz a tio n s.

402

"""(a )"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""A" person" will" be" presumed" to" imminently" lose" their" housing"

when"they"are

403

(1)"""subject"to"any"written"or"oral"threat"of"eviction;"

(2)"""able" to" produce" any"credible"evidence"that" the" ow ner" or"

renter"of"their"current" ho using " w ill"no t" allow " the" ind ividua l"o r"

family"to "stay"for"more"than"14"days,"with"a n y"oral"statement"

from"the "individual"found"to"be"credible"constituting "such" e vi-

dence;"or"

397

." 42"U.S.C."§"11302(a)(1)."

398

." 42"U.S.C."§"11302(a)(2)."

399

." 42"U.S.C."§"11302(a)(3)."

400

." 42"U.S.C."§"11302(a)(4)."

401

." Broadened"version"of"42"U.S.C."§"11302(b)."

402

." 42"U.S.C."§"11302(a)(5)(A )."

403

." Broadened"version"of"42"U.S.C."§"11302(a)(5)(A)."

592' MINNESOTA'LAW'REVIEW' [106:525!

(3)" lack" the" resourc es " to" maintain" permanent" or" temporary"

housing"for"longer"than"one"month."

(B)! Public! Space."For" the" purposes"of"this" law," “public"space”" means" any"

property"that"is"owned"or" rented" by" any"state"or"local"government"entity,"or"

upon" w hich"there"is"an"easement"for" pu blic"use"and"that"is" h eld"open"to"the"

public.

404

(i)"Such"property"includes"but"is"not"limited"to:"parks,"plazas,"courtyards,"

parking" lots," sidewalks," and" public" transportation" vehicles" or" facili-

ties.

405

(ii)""This"definition"does"not"include "private"business"establishmen t s"or"

privately"owned"places"of"public"accommodation.

406

(C)"Retaliation."For"the"purposes"of"this"law,"“reta liation”"means"to"inten-

tionally"engage"in"any"reprisal"against"an"individua l"becau se"they :"

(i)"opposed"a"practice"forbidden"under"this "sta tu t e; "

(ii)"filed"""a"charge,"testified,"assisted,"or"participated"in"any"manner"in"an"

investigation,"pr oc ee din g ,"o r"h ea rin g "u n d er"th is "sta tu t e;" or"

(iii)"""associated"with"an"unhoused"individual"or"group" of" un housed" indi-

viduals."

(D)"Reprisal."For"the"purposes" of" this"law," “re prisal”"includes" b u t"is"not"lim-

ited"to"any"form"of"intimidatio n ,"hara ss m e n t,"discr im in a tio n ,"unl awful"or"ob-

jectively"needless"d eta in m e nt "or"a rre st,"o r"ca u sin g "of"in ju ry. "

Subdivision"2."Bill!of!Rights!for!Unhoused!Minnesotans.!No"person’s"rights,"

privileges," o r "access"to"public"services"may"be "denied"or"abridged,"solely"or"

in"p a rt ,"because "they"are"unhoused.

407

"An"unhoused"person"shall" enjoy"the"

same"rights"and"privileges"as"any"other"citizen"of"this"State."Th ese"rights"in-

clude:

408

(A)"the"right"to"use"and "move"freely" in"public"spaces,"including"but"not"

limited"to"pub lic"sidewalks,"public"parks,"pu b lic"transportation,"and"pub-

lic"buildings;

409

(B)"the"right"to"a"reasonable"expectation"of"privacy"in"his"or"her"personal"

property"to"the"same"extent"as"personal"property"in"a"permanent"resi-

dence;

410

(C)"the" right"to"b e"secure"in"their"person,"place"of"residence,"and"per-

sonal"property"against"unreasonable"searches"and"seizures;

411

(D)"the"right"to"equal"treatment"by"all"state"and"mu nicipa l"agenc ies;

412

404

." Broadened" version" of" Assemb." B." 5," 2013–2014" Leg.," Reg." Sess.," at" 9" (Cal."

2012)."

405

." Id."

406

." Id."

407

." Broadened"version"of"34"R.I.$GEN.$LAWS$§"34-37.1-3"(2021)."

408

." Broadened"version"of"id."

409

." Broadened"version"of"id.%$§"34-37.1-3(1)."

410

." See"id.$§"34-37.1-3(7).%

411

." See%U.S.$CONST.$amend."IV.%

412

." See"34"R.I.$GEN.$LAWS$§"34-37.1-3(2)"(2021).%

2021]' RIGHTS'FOR'UNHOUSED'MINNESOTANS' 593!

(E)"the"right"not"to"face"discrimination"while"seeking"or"mainta in ing "em-

ployment;

413

(F)"the"right"to"emergency"medical"care;

414

(G)"the"right"to" v ote," reg ister" to" v ote," an d" rece ive" d ocumentation"neces-

sary"to"prove"identity"for"voting;

415

(H)"the"right"to"protection"from"disclosure"of"their"records"and"infor-

mation"provided"to" homeless" shelters" and" service" providers" to" state,"

municipal"and"private"entities"without"appropriate" legal"authority;"and"

the"right"to"confidentiality" of" personal" rec ords" a nd " inform a tion" in" a c-

cordance"with"all"limitations"on"disclosure"established" by"the"Federal"

Homeless"Management"Information" Systems,"the"Federal" Health"Insur-

ance" Portability" and" Accountability" Act," and" the" Federal" Violence"

Against"Women"Act;

416

(I)" th e"right" to"decline" sh elter"space" o r"social" services"without" crim inal"

or"civil"sanction,"arrest,"harassment,"deprivation"of"rights,"or"any"form"

of"discrimination;

417

(J)" the" right" to" storage" of" a" reasonable" volume" of" personal" property,"

without" reasonable"restrictions"on"access" to"one’s"property,"at"no"cost"

to" the" individual," in" all"municipalities" with" a"population" greater" than"

25,000;

418

"and"

(K)"the" righ t"to"sufficient"hygiene"ce nters"available" tw en ty-fo u r"hours"a"

day,"seven"days"a"week,"at"no"cost"to"the"individual,"in"all"municipalities"

with"a"population"greater"than"25,000.

419

Subdivision"3."Enumerated!R ights! Under! the!Bill!of!Rights! for! U nhoused!

Minnesotans."The"following"provisions"flow"from"the"rights"recognized"in"

Subdivision"2."These"enumerated"rights"do"not"comprise"the"full"scope"of"ex-

clusive"rights"recognize d"b y"S ub div ision"2 ."

413

." See%id.%at"§"34-37.1-3(3)."

414

." See%id.%at"§"34-37.1-3(4)."

415

." See%id.%at"§"34-37.1-3(5).%

416

." See%id.%at"§"34-37.1-3(6).%

417

." See%Assemb."B."5,"2013–2014"Leg.,"Reg."Sess.,"at"11"(Cal."2012);"see%also%supra%

note"367"(discussing"the"ruling"in"Martin%v.%City%of%Boise"which"allows" cities"to"crimi-

nalize"the"essential,"life-sustaining"a ctivities"of"unhoused"people"if"an"individu al"de-

clines"to"utilize"an"available"emergency"shelter)."

418

." See%supra% notes" 288–90" and"accompanying"text."This"population"threshold"

means"less"than"6%"of"the"municipalities"in"Minnesota"would"be"affected"while"cover-

ing"58%"of"the"state’s"population."See%Historical%Estimates% of%Minnesota% and%its% Cities’%

and% Townships’% Population% and% Households% (2020)," MINN.$ STATE$ DEMOGRAPHIC$ CTR.$"

https://mn.gov/admin/assets/mn_cities_tow nships_historical_estimates_"

sdc_2000-2019_tcm36-442551.xlsx" [https://perm a.cc/ D6 KV-3SA6]." The" 25,000" fig-

ure"is"somewhat"arbitrary,"but"it"serves"as" a"pragmatic"limit"that"may"help"this"pro vi-

sion" of" BRUM" survive" the" legislative" process."While" som e" municipalities" that" could"

(and"should)"support"a"hygiene"center"would"not"be"required"to"do"so,"that"cutoff"may"

help"avoid"backlash"against"accusations"of"imposing"undue"costs"on"smaller"towns"and"

cities."

419

." See%supra%note"418."

594' MINNESOTA'LAW'REVIEW' [106:525!

(A)! Protection! from! Anti-Unhoused! Laws.! Pursuant" to" Subdivision"

2(A)," no" law,"ordinance,"administrative"rule" or" regulation,"or"govern-

ment"policy"may"restrict,"penalize,"or"impose"either"civil"or"criminal"lia-

bility,"nor"may"any"per so n "arrest"or"harass"an"unhoused"pers o n ,"for"their"

lawful"use"of" pu blic "spaces ."Such"unlawful" or din an ce s"et"al."include,"but"

are"not"limited"to,"restrictions"et"al."on:

420

(i)"sitting"or"lying"down"in"public"spaces;"

(ii)"resting"or"sleeping"in"public"sp a ce s;"

(iii)"camping"or"establishing"living"spaces"in"public"parks;"

(iv)"resting"or"sleeping"in"a"lawfully"parked"vehicle;"

(v)"providing,"sharing,"accepting,"eating,"or"drinking"food"and"water"

in"public"spac es ;"

(vi)" begging," soliciting,"panhandling," o r" requesting" food " or"drink,"

money,"items,"or"any"form"of"assistance"on"public"spaces,"in"a"man-

ner" that"is"not"objectively"obstructive"or"threatening" to"a" reasona-

ble"person;"

(vii)" seek ing"out"a nd"engaging" in"self-employment," including"trash"

collecting" and"removal," recycling"redemp tion,"storage"of"goods" for"

reuse,"and"resale"of"non-perishable"goods;"and"

(viii)"praying,"meditating,"or"otherwise"practicing"religion"in"public"

spaces."

(B)"Right!to!Counsel.!Any"unhoused"person"subject"to"unlawful"criminal"

or" civil"suit"as"described"in"Subdivision"3(A)"has"the"right"to"assistance"

of"counsel,"without"cost"to"the"unhoused"person."The"accused"shall"be"

advised"of"this"right"to"counsel"when"charged,"served"process,"and"be-

fore"entering"a"plea ."An y"waiver"of"this"right"shall"be"explicit.

421

(C)" Prohibition!on!Address!Information!in!Job!Applications.!Pursu-

ant"to"Subdivision"2(E),"no"written,"electronic,"or"oral"job"application"or"

interview"may "req u es t"n o r"req u ire "tha t"a n "ap p lic an t "pro v id e"a"residen-

tial"or"mailing"address.

422

(D)" Prohibition! on! Criminal! History! Information! in! Job! Applica-

tions.!Pursuant"to"Subdivision"2(E),"no"written,"electronic,"or"oral"job"

application"or"interview" may"request"nor"require"information"concern-

ing"an"applic a n t’s"crim inal"history,"including"charges,"investigations,"or"

convictions.

423

" This" provision" shall" not" abridge" the" ability" of" an" em-

ployer"to"perform"a"criminal"background"check"once"an"applicant"has"

been"offered"employment."

(E)" Valid! Address! for! Voter! Registration.! Pursuant" to" Subdivision"

2(G),"an"unhoused"individual"may"p rovide"as"a"valid"address"for"voter"

registration" the" addre ss" of"a" sh elter," home"of"friend"or" family," or" any"

other"location"where"the"unhoused"person"is"sleeping."If"that"location"is"

420

." See%supra%notes"125–34,"202–09"(discussing"anti-unhoused"ordinances"and"

affirmative"grants"in"the"original"California"UBR).!

421

." See%supra%note"209"and"accompanying"text.%

422

." See%supra%notes"283–87."

423

." See%supra"Golabek-Goldman,%note"231."

2021]' RIGHTS'FOR'UNHOUSED'MINNESOTANS' 595!

outside"or"otherwise"a"public"or"p rivate"place"not"designed"for"or"ordi-

narily"used"as"a"regular"sleeping"accommodation"for" hum an" beings," the"

unhoused"individual"may"write"a"description"of"the"location,"such"as"“In"

the"NW"co rner"of"Jefferson"Park"ne ar"the"intersection"of"Winston"Ave."

and"Smith"St.”

424

(F)!Valid!Identification!for!Voter!Registration.!Pursuant"to"Subdivi-

sion" 2(G)," an"u nho used" individual"may" provide" as"valid"identification"

documentation"for"voter"registration"a"letter"from"a"social"services"pro-

vider,"drop-in "or"w arming"center,"shelter,"or" p erson"with"whom "the"in-

dividual"is"staying"that"confirms"permission"for"the"individual"to"use"said"

entity"or"person’s"address"to"register"to"vote.

425

(G)"Requirements!for!Storage!Facilities.!Pursuant"to"Subdivision"2(J),"

each" qualifying" municipality" shall" maintain" sufficient" facilities" to"pro-

vide"all"unhoused"individuals"residing"in" said"municipality" w ith"twelve"

cubic"feet"of"storage"space.

426

"Said"storage"shall"be"waterproof"and"able"

to"be"locked."Said"facilities"shall"be"monitored"and"reaso nab ly"secure d"

from" theft" a n d" damage" by" the" administering" municipality." Unh o u se d"

persons"shall"have"the"same"privacy"interest"in"this"storage"space"as"they"

would"any"personal"property"under"Subdivision"2(B) –(C)."Such"facilities"

need"not"operate"twenty-four"hours"a"day,"but"they"must"allow"fo r"unin-

terrupted"storage"and"reasonable"access"to"the"individual’s"property.

427

(H)" Requirements! for! Hygiene! Facilities." Pursuant" to" Subdivision"

2(K),"each"qualifying"municipality"shall"maintain"sufficient"facilities"to"

provide"all"unhoused"individuals"residing"in"said"municipality"with"safe"

and"secure"facilities"that"allow"unhoused"individuals"to"meet"their"basic"

bodily"hygiene"needs."At"a"minimum,"these"facilities"shall"contain"public"

bathroom,"shower," and"diaper-changing" facilities,"along"with"separate"

breastfeeding"or"breastmilk-pumping"facilities.

428

"Minimally"acceptable"

hygiene"facilities"shall"also"contain"facilities"allowing"for"the"handwash-

ing"of"clothing."Un h ou s ed "individuals"shall"not"be"unrea so n a b ly "denied"

access"to"such"facilities."

(I)"Retaliation.!Retaliation"against"an"unhoused"person"for"exercising,"

enforcing,"or"insisting"on"their" rights"under"this"statute" shall"constitute"

a"separate"per"se"violation"of"Subdivision"2."Retaliation"against"any"per-

son" for"exercising,"enforcing,"or"insisting"on"another’s"rights"under"this"

424

." This"provision"is"a"codification"of"existing"Minnesota"Secretary"of"State"policy."

See% I’m% Homeless," OFF.$ OF$ THE$ MINN.$ SEC’Y$ OF$ STATE,$ https://www.sos.state.mn.us/"

elections-voting/register-to-vote/im-homeless"[https://perma.cc/ZH5U-9EM Q]."

425

." See%supra%note"234"and"accompanying"text."

426

." Twelve"cubic"feet"roughly"accords"with"the"volume"of"the"ninety- six" gallon"

totes"utilized"by" the"City"of"San"Diego"in"its"storage"facilities"for"unhoused"people." See%

Capps,"supra%note"288."

427

." Expanding"on"San"Diego’s"p rogram "by"allowing" u nho used "people"to" continu-

ously"store"their"belongings,"rather"than "requiring"that"the"property"be"rem oved"every"

day"before"the"facility"closes,"better"serves"the"goal"of"this"provision.%See"supra%note"

288"and"accompanying"text."

428

." Broadened"version"of% Assemb."B." 5," 2013–2014" Leg.,"Reg." Sess.," at" 14"(Cal."

2012)."

596' MINNESOTA'LAW'REVIEW' [106:525!

statute" shall"constitute"a"separate"violation"punishable"as"a"violation"of"

Subdivision"2."

Subdivision! 4." Available" Remedies"Under"the" Bill" of"Rights"for" Unhoused"

Minnesotans."

(A)"Any!unhoused!person!as!defined!under"Subdivision"1(A)"may"bring"

suit"in"district"court"for"violations"of"Subdivisions"2"and"3,"for"suitable"

relief"as"described"below.""

(B)"Any!person!may"bring"suit"in" district"court"for"violations"of"Subdi-

vision"3(I)"for"suitab le"relief"as"described"below."!

(C)"Damages.!In"any"civil"action"alleging"a"violation"of"this"statute,"the"

court"may" a ward" appropriate"injunctive"and" declaratory" relief," actual"

damages,"and"reasonable"attorney’s"fees"and"costs"to"a"prevailing"plain-

tiff.

429

(D)"Treble!Dam ages.!In"any"civil"action"alleging"a"violation"Subdivision"

2(A)–(I)"of"this"statute,"the "co urt"shall" aw ard"treble"actual"damages"for"

willful,"wanton,"or"aggravated"misconduct ." T h e"court"sha ll"award"t reb l e"

actual" dam ages" when" retaliation" under" Subdivision" 3(I)" is" proved" by"

clear"and"convincing"evidence."

(E)"Punitive!Damages.!In"any"civil"action"alleging"a"viola tion "of"this"stat-

ute,"the"court"may"award"appropriate"punitive"damages"in "acc o rd an c e"

with"Minn."Stat."§"549.20.

430

(F)"Statutory!Damages.!In "any"civil"action" u nd er"this"statute,"each"vio-

lation"of"this"statute"shall"be"p un ish ab le"by"statutory"damage s"of"$8,500"

per"violation."The"existence"and"nature"of"statutory"damages"under"this"

statute"shall"not"be"put"to"a"jury."

(G)"Unhoused!Restraining!Order."The"court"may"issue"a"temporary"re-

straining"order"that"enjoins"a"responden t"to"cease"or"avoid"a"violation"of"

this"statute."The"court" m ay" issue "th e" restraining " orde r"if" it"fin d s"reason-

able"grounds"to"believe"that"the"respondent"has" or" will"violate"this"stat-

ute." A"petitioner"need"not"allege"an"immediate"and"present"danger"of"a"

violation"of"this"statute,"merely"that"a"reasonable"person"could"believe"a"

violation"to"be"probable"to"occur"within "a"reasonable"period"of"time"and"

likely"to"cause"injury"to "the "pe tition er ."A"c ou rt"m a y"o rd er"re lief"for "a"p e-

riod"of"two"years"under"this"section."Violation"of"such"a"restraining"order"

shall"constitute"retaliation"under"Subdivision"3(I).

431

Subdivision"5."Additional!Parties!to!Litigation!Under!the!Bill!of!Rights!for!

Unhoused!Minnesotans."

429

." 34"R.I.$GEN.$LAWS$§"34-37.1-4"(2021).%

430

." Punitive"damages"w ill"likely"better"protect" the"rights"of"unhoused"people"by"

helping" them"to"secure"counsel."The"potential"for"large"dam age"awards" w ill"likely"in-

crease"the"use" of"contingent"fee"arrangem ents"with"unhoused"clients."See% supra%notes"

183–86,"380"and"accompanying"text."

431

." Based" on" Minnesota’s" harassment" restraining" order" statute," MINN.$ STAT." §"

609.748"(2021),"this"provision" inco rpo rates"a"reduced" sho w ing"requirement"inspired"

by"the"temporary"restraining"order"proceedings"in"Berry%v.%Hennepin%County.%See%supra"

note"29" (discussing" a"court’s"finding" that" the"harm " posed"by"the" clearing" of" an"un -

housed"encamp ment"was"not"“sufficiently"certa in"and"concrete,”"only"for"that"encamp-

ment"to"be"cleared"less"than"two"weeks"later)."

2021]' RIGHTS'FOR'UNHOUSED'MINNESOTANS' 597!

(A)"Public!Enforcement.!The"Attorney"General"of"Minnesota"may"inves-

tigate"violations" of"the"statute"and"shall"have"the"power" to"bring"suit"on"

behalf"of"the"unhoused"individual"or"the"People"of"Minnesota"for"viola-

tions"of"this"statute."The"Attorney"General"shall"have"the"right"to"inter-

vene"as"a"plaintiff"in"any"suit"brought"under"this"statute."

(i)"The"Bill"of"Rights"for"Unhoused"Minnesotans"shall"be"added"to"

the"list"of"laws"in"Minn."Stat."§"8 .31,"subd."1.

432

(ii)"A"judgment"or"settlement"in"a"case"brought"by"the"Attorney"Gen-

eral"for"a"violation"under"this"statute"shall"not"preclude"a"plaintiff"

from"bringing"th eir"o w n "civ il"ac tio n"fo r"th e"sa me"violation.

433

(B)"Interve ntion !of! Rig ht.!Bona"fide"nonprofit"providers"of"services"or"

financial" or" materia l" support" to" un h ou s ed " individuals" shall" have" the"

right"to"intervene"as" p laintiffs"in "a ny" civil" ac tion" un der" th is"sta tute," pro-

vided" such" intervention" would" not" unreasonably" delay" said" civil" ac-

tion.

434

432

." MINN.$STAT.$§"8.31"subdiv."1"(2021)"(providing"a"list"of"statutes"for" w hich"the"

Minnesota" Attorney" General" may" investigate" offenses" and" assist" in" the""

enforcement"of)."

433

." Redundant"codification"of"a"provision"found"in"id."at"subdiv."3a."

434

." See% supra%note"197"and"accompanying"text"(discussing"a"provision"of"Puerto"

Rico’s"UBR"allow ing"“advocacy"groups" to" serve" as"‘intercesso rs ’”"for" u n h ou s ed "people"

in"legal"proceed in g s)."