Criminalizing Squatting (H 5919, S 817)

Rhode Island's serious homelessness crisis cannot be solved by punishing the victims of that crisis. As such, we argued against legislation which would make it a crime punishable by a year in prison for a person to "occupy a dwelling unit or other structure" without permission. Aimed at people who are considered "squatters," we argued this criminalization is cruel and lacks compassion for those experiencing the plight that hundreds of unhoused Rhode Islanders face. This bill died in the House committee, and a Senate committee vote on the bill was withdrawn.