Public Statement: Criminalizing Homelessness Will Not End It 

Public Statement: Criminalizing Homelessness Will Not End It 

The Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless (NEOCH) urges all communities in Northeast Ohio to reject ordinances that criminalize homelessness. Measures recently proposed in Rocky River, Canton, and Lorain penalize people for sleeping, resting, or existing in public spaces. This does not reduce homelessness; it only makes it worse. 

Why Criminalization Fails 

Criminalizing homelessness: 

  • Cuts people off from support, making it harder for outreach workers to connect individuals with resources. 

  • Wastes taxpayer money on policing, incarceration and courts instead of proven housing-first strategies. 

  • Fuels harmful myths by punishing people for systemic barriers like poverty and lack of affordable housing. 

  • Disproportionately drives Black and Brown people into the criminal legal system. 

 

What We Know Works 

At NEOCH, we know the solution is housing, not punishment. 

  • Through Home for Every Neighbor with the City of Cleveland, 191 people have been housed directly from the streets in the past year. Of those, 98% accepted housing when offered, showing that people want housing when it’s a real option.  

  • Our Organizing and Advocacy Team canvasses neighborhoods, holds educational events, and advocates to protect residents’ housing rights. 

  • Our Street Outreach Team is out daily, building trust and connecting people to shelter, healthcare, and pathways to housing. Over the last year, 138 people have secured housing through our direct outreach efforts.  

 
These efforts prove what experience and evidence make clear: when people are offered housing, legal protections, and supportive services, they succeed. 

A Better Path Forward 

We call on city leaders across Northeast Ohio to reject criminalization and instead invest in housing-first strategies, eviction prevention, and outreach partnerships. Communities thrive when we break down stigma and respond with compassion. 

 

NEOCH stands ready to share resources, from data and case studies to trainings on respectful engagement with people experiencing homelessness. 

Our message is simple: The solution to homelessness is housing – not punishment. 

 

We invite residents throughout the region to contact their local officials, oppose ordinances that criminalize homelessness, and support approaches that uphold dignity and strengthen our communities. 

Kathryn Boor