This event is organized by volunteers who are not affiliated with the ACLU or the ACLU of Maine. The ACLU will be speaking and sharing resources at the event.
The ACLU of Maine and National Coalition for the Homeless invite you to rally for Housing Now on Tuesday, April 22nd at 5 p.m. in Monument Square, Portland, Maine.
SCOTUS’ ruling in Johnson v Grants Pass paved the way for communities to arrest and ticket people for living outside. One year since the decision, over 150 cities have passed laws making it illegal to be homeless without addressing the dire lack of affordable housing that causes homelessness. Now, proposed federal budget cuts threaten to leave more people poor, homeless, and sick.
Instead of funding what works, too many politicians are making these problems worse by passing laws that allow the police to ticket and arrest people who cannot afford housing or the substance use or mental health care they need. We need leaders who focus on real solutions that help people, like housing and healthcare, not politicians who ignore the rising cost of rent or pass laws that make homelessness worse.
