Submitted by: Abhik Banerjeek
As a longtime reader of the Daily Bruin, I have always enjoyed reading the Viewpoint section and having the opportunity to have my voice heard. For the past two years, I have volunteered with the UCLA Mobile Clinic program.
Although we primarily work with the underserved homeless community, we also direct services toward the mentally ill and operate at a few different sites across Los Angeles.
My experiences in this program have shed light on some of the unusually difficult policies our city, state and country have towards the homeless community, particularly the criminalization of homelessness.
Since loitering and sleeping on the street are often illegal, homeless individuals are subject to heavy fines. In combination with a lack of available shelters, these fines become unavoidable for some.
By virtue of their economic status, they ““ more often than not ““ do not have the money to pay these penalties and end up accumulating higher late fines in the process.
While these additional fines have a genuine purpose and serve as an important reminder to pay one’s penalties on time, I do not see the logic in increasing the amount of money a homeless and economically destitute person has to pay. Even worse, having a criminal record makes job-hunting extremely difficult for a homeless individual. This makes leaving the streets even harder for a client population already at risk and stigmatized.
Services like Homeless Court and Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles are designed with these concerns in mind and try to help clients with their local and federal fines. However, I am saddened by the growing need of these organizations and the city’s inability to recognize the economic plight of the homeless community.
Homelessness should not be criminalized and these fines make the process of leaving the streets even harder. Awareness and sensitivity are the answers to this problem, not increasing monetary penalties.
It is only through acknowledgment of the problem that we can strive to move forward and make real progress for the future.
Banerjee is a third-year molecular, cell, and developmental biology and music performance student.