In this episode of UnHoused & UnFiltered, hosts Sarah Prout-Rennie and Nick Cook unpack one of the most consequential shifts in homelessness policy in decades: the growing movement to criminalize homelessness. They examine how the 2024 Grants Pass Supreme Court decision and subsequent federal policy changes have encouraged camping bans, expanded enforcement, and civil commitment proposals across the country, including right here in Michigan.

Drawing from recent advocacy efforts in East Lansing and Jackson, they explain why these ordinances often fail to address the root causes of homelessness while placing greater burdens on law enforcement, local governments, and taxpayers. The conversation explores the human impact of policies that push people further from services and deeper into crisis rather than toward housing a ...