(File Photo: Source for Photo: With Fruitdale Elementary School in the background, a homeless man adjusts his shoe at Fruitdale Park, March 23, 2024, in Grants Pass, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Lancaster County, PA) A Pennsylvania lawmaker recently made an upcoming legislation that goes against attempts to criminalize the homeless. Lancaster County Democratic Pennsylvania Representative Ismail Smith-Wade-El described in a memo on Thursday that rules have been adopted by many communities across the nation that punish individuals that are homeless just because they do not have shelter and he stated in it: “Criminalizing individuals or families for being homeless is needlessly cruel and undermines the guiding morals of our society. As servants of the people, it is our duty to ensure that every resident of the Commonwealth has the ability to provide for themselves and their loved ones as best they can.” Smith-Wade-El confirmed that the “Shelter First for Pennsylvanians Experiencing Homelessness Act” is what his legislation will be called. This bill specifies that homeless people are allowed to use public spaces for vital activities when those people do not have options for accessing housing.