Rep. Rashida Tlaib introduces unhoused persons bill of rights resolution

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., introduced legislation last week that would significantly expand the rights of the homeless and overhaul how the government treats Americans living on the streets, siphoning billions of dollars from defense spending.

The “Declaration of the Rights of Homeless Persons” calls for government-led intervention to end homelessness within the next three years and introduces more than a dozen protections for the homeless.

If passed, Tlaib’s bill would include freedom of movement for homeless people in public spaces, affordable housing, “livable” wages, universal health care and panhandling.

According to the decision, homeless individuals will have the “right to unrestricted access” to public parks, means of transportation, facilities, sidewalks, buildings, restrooms and other areas; This means they can now legally camp in such public spaces.

LEFT MPS WANT TO MAKE HOMELESS CAMPS A NATIONWIDE CRISIS

The homeless population will also be given internet access and the technology necessary to achieve this.

A spokesperson for Tlaib did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on how this provision would work in practice.

Although the resolution is non-binding, meaning it does not have the force of law, Tlaib’s recommendations show how the left could push for changes to homeless policy if Democrats regain power in Washington after the 2026 midterm elections.

But Tlaib’s proposal would give the homeless population “freedom from harassment” by law enforcement, private businesses, property owners and “residents.”

Specifically, homeless individuals would be afforded protection from “removal” from private property, which the Michigan Democrat’s measure calls a violation of an individual’s “fundamental civil and human rights.”

According to a Housing and Urban Development (HUD) report released the same year, the homeless population reached over 771,000 in January 2024, the highest level ever recorded.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., is pressing the federal government to recognize and enforce numerous rights for the homeless population, including the right to be “protected from harassment” by law enforcement and property owners. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

FORMER ‘TEAM’ DEM LOOKS LIKE RADICAL ACTIVIST AT CENTER OF TLAIB REPORT HERO IN RETURN BID

Some provisions in Tlaib’s decision appear to directly challenge a 2024 Supreme Court decision that made it easier for cities to combat homelessness by allowing local ordinances to ban camping on public property.

Following the court decision, more than 100 local governments across the United States banned homeless camping. NPR reported.

Tlaib’s measure harshly criticizes state and local governments that ban “pitching, loitering, sleeping in tents or vehicles,” among other activities related to homeless populations.

The order also instructs the federal government to meet its long-term goal of ending the “homelessness crisis” by 2029.

Tlaib’s recommendations include requiring the Trump administration to allocate at least $168 billion in defense spending to “permanently end and prevent” individuals experiencing homelessness.

Rep. Cori Bush, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez held a press conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on September 21, 2021, to introduce legislation authorizing the Department of Health and Human Services to impose a federal eviction moratorium for public health reasons. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

The decision does not specify what approximately 20 percent of annual defense expenditures will be used for.

“Access to a safe place to live is a human right,” Tlaib said in her statement after the law came into force. “Congress passes another record-breaking military budget every year, and President Trump requested a $1.5 trillion Pentagon budget this year. Experts say it would cost a fraction of that to end homelessness in our country.”

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION

Tlaib’s measure was first introduced in 2021 by former Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo. It is similar to the decision presented by . Bush, once a member of “The Squad,” will run in St. Louis in the midterm elections in November. He is making a comeback bid to retake his St. Louis-based House seat.