The Homelessness Dilemma

1. Set Focus
Pose this essential question to guide discussion: What should society do to address homelessness?

2. List Vocabulary
Share with students some of the challenging vocabulary words in this article (see below). Encourage them to use context to infer meanings as they read.

• localities (p. 9)
• criminalize (p. 10)
• disingenuous (p. 11)
• prolong (p. 11)
• gentrification (p. 11)
• explicitly (p. 11)

3. Engage
Briefly review Grants Pass v. Johnson with students. Explain that the Supreme Court overturned a previous decision by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that ruled it cruel and unusual punishment to arrest homeless people for sleeping outside. The Supreme Court’s decision means that governments across the country can pass laws that make sleeping in public illegal, regardless of whether someone is homeless. 

4. Read 
Have students read the article, marking the text to note key ideas or questions.

5. Discuss
Distribute or project Up Close: The Homelessness Dilemma, a close-reading activity for students to work on in small groups. (Note: The questions on the PDF also appear on the following page of this lesson, with possible responses.) Follow up with a class discussion. If you’re short on time, have each group tackle one or two of the questions. Collect students’ work or have each group report its findings to the class.

• In your own words, summarize the problem that led to the Supreme Court’s decision. (Summarize, problem & solution) (The citizens of some states were growing increasingly frustrated with the number of homeless people living on the streets. Local governments could not remove people because arresting someone who is homeless for sleeping outside was deemed to be a violation of constitutional rights.)

• What is the dilemma referenced in the article’s title? How does the text next to the title (page 9) help you understand what the article will be about? (Central ideas, integrate sources) (The dilemma is whether the government should pass laws that might infringe on homeless peoples’ personal autonomy in order to protect public health and safety. The text next to the title summarizes the potential impact that a city’s laws could have on the homeless, with the Supreme Court’s permission, and then asks whether cities should pass such laws.)

• In the section “ ‘Warming Up the Bulldozer,’ ” what argument do supporters make in favor of making encampments illegal? What argument do critics make against it? Whose argument do you find more persuasive? (Analyze evidence, evaluate arguments)(Supporters argue that, because people refuse services and reject shelters, the decision is necessary to protect public safety. Critics believe that cities don’t do enough to provide services, that there aren’t enough services, and that the true goal is not to solve a problem but to drive people away. Students’ opinions may vary but answers should cite text evidence and be supported with reasoning.)

• According to the timeline “Homelessness in America,” what are some factors that have led to increases in homelessness at various times? (Cause & effect, analyze information) (According to the timeline, the following have led to increases in homelessness: industrialization in the 1850s; the Great Depression in 1930; gentrification, deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill, and the AIDs epidemic of the 1980s; and addiction and substance abuse, mental illness, unemployment, and a lack of affordable housing today.) 

• In response to California governor Gavin Newsom’s order to begin removing encampments, Lancaster mayor R. Rex Parris says he’s “warming up the bulldozer.” What can you infer about his viewpoint from his words? How does his viewpoint contrast with the viewpoint of Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass? (Analyze words, compare & contrast) (From his words, the reader can infer that Mayor Parris is eager to remove the encampments, especially away from areas that are used frequently by the public. Bass, on the other hand, wants to disregard the governor’s order because her own methods have been effective and she believes that the goal of the order is to simply hide the homelessness problem, not solve its root causes.) 

• Based on the details in the article, do you think the Supreme Court made the right decision? Explain. (Evaluate, draw conclusions)(Students’ opinions will vary, but they should support their ideas with evidence and reasoning.)

6. Writing Prompt
Research and describe the services your community provides to people who are experiencing, or who may face, homelessness.

7. Video
Watch the video about homelessness. What does it add to your understanding?

8. Classroom Debate
Will criminalizing encampments help or hurt efforts to solve homelessness?

9. Quiz & Skills
Use the quiz to assess comprehension and the Analyze the Graph and Analyze the Cartoon skill sheets to practice data and visual analysis.