Legislation aimed at protecting the rights of unhoused people in New Jersey is currently stalled as lawmakers take the unofficial summer break.

The proposed legislation calls for equal treatment of homeless individuals by all state and municipal agencies and prohibits discrimination based on housing status.

This comes in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision allowing cities to enforce bans on homeless individuals sleeping in public places.

Advocates say the ruling has sparked fear among those who are already vulnerable and at risk of homelessness.

Mental health writer Bobby Brier joins me to talk about the potential impact of this proposed homeless Bill of Rights.

All right, Bobby, thanks for joining me.

Thank you for having me.

All right.

So we know it is in common to see those who are homeless and camped out on streets and in front of businesses.

We know that the Supreme Court has allowed cities to enforce bans on those who are homeless.

To do that here in New Jersey, there is a law trying to do the exact opposite.

In fact, they are trying to protect those who are homeless from being banned or kicked out.

Yeah, that's right.

You know, the right now we have two legislators, Senator Brittney Timberlake and Assemblyman Reginald Ekins, really advocating for a bill that would do just that, outlined the specific rights for people experiencing homelessness here in the state of New Jersey.

Some of those rights would look like the right to vote, the right to emergency medical care and the right to move freely in a public space such as parks, public transportation, or on sidewalks.

That really goes against what this Supreme Court ruling has has laid down for cities and counties, not only here in New Jersey, but across the country.

With this current bill kind of known as the Homeless Bill of Rights.

It should also be noted that this has been in front of lawmakers since the 1819 session and has not been up for a vote since that time due to the recent Grants Pass ruling.

A lot of lawmakers and advocates I've spoken to have said that they were going to really push lawmakers to get this bill signed into law once they come back from the summer break.

Well, here's the thing.

While advocates are happy about this proposed bill, there is one problem.

Lawmakers are on this unofficial break.

So now what?

Right now, you know, lawmakers have that I've spoken to have said they're going to try to hit the ground running when they come back from session to really push forward to get this bill signed into law.

That comes as lawyers and people experiencing homelessness I've spoken to have spoken about this general fear that even though there are certain cities that have really instituted these same type of protections that lawmakers have done or are trying to do in Trenton, they still speak about this general fear towards what they call criminalizing homelessness, that essentially, if you are seen sleeping in a public space, that you could receive a ticket with nowhere else to go.

It should be noted that there are other places, you know, like the here in the city of Newark, as well as other cities that have worked extremely hard against that proposal.

You know, there are roughly 10,000 homeless people in the state.

That's according to a count in 2023.

What is the concern or fear now with this law in limbo?

You know, right now the main concern is that, you know, if somebody is ticketed with having nowhere else to go, they really end up in a very difficult situation when they're already vulnerable.

These are folks that are many times working full time, many times working towards a more significant status, towards having a full time job.

But it's really a difficult situation that they find themselves in.

And it's throughout the country excuse me, it's throughout the state, really, whether that's Hammonton, Atlantic City, Asbury Park, places that already have ordinances that say that people are not allowed to sleep in public places.

You also see it in places in more northern states like Roseau excuse me, northern counties like Roseau Park.

So it's certainly throughout the state right now.

So there's really a general fear out there completely.

And I think that fear may grow the more that we see more of these towns kind of past these more quiet ordinances in place.

But you also see some lawyers and advocates fighting hard against that.

And lawmakers in Trenton trying to put this homeless bill of rights bill into place.

All right.

Well, I guess we'll have to see when everything is back in session to see where this all lands.

Bobby Brier thank you.

Excellent reporting.

Thank you Raven.