A recent whitepaper prepared by the Homeless Planning Council of Delaware highlights discriminatory practices that make the lives of individuals and families who are homelessness in Delaware even more difficult than they already are.
Delaware’s homeless face discrimination in a number of circumstances. For example, it is harder for a homeless person to apply for and secure a job because they lack a permanent address. Loitering laws also often specifically target the homeless, who have no other place to go.
Discriminatory practices also place an unnecessary burden on organizations that provide homeless services, human services, and criminal justice systems. Housing should be a protected status just like disability, race, or sexual orientation, and people experiencing homelessness should be able to access the services they need to end their homelessness.
In 2012, Rhode Island took steps to ensure protection of people experiencing homelessness by passing of the first Homeless Bill of Rights in the United States. The Homeless Planning Council of Delaware is promoting similar legislation here in Delaware, along with policy changes aimed at both preventing and ending homelessness in our state.
Read more about homelessness in Delaware and the Homeless Planning Council of Delaware's recommendations in the report here.
