Rep. Rashida Tlaib introduces unhoused persons bill of rights resolution

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, Democrat of Michigan, introduced a bill last week that would dramatically expand the rights of the homeless and overhaul how the government treats Americans living on the streets by siphoning billions of dollars from defense spending.

The “Homeless Bill of Rights” calls for government intervention to end homelessness over the next three years and introduces more than a dozen protections for homeless people.

If passed, Tlaib’s legislation would include freedom of movement for homeless people in public spaces, affordable housing, “living” wages, universal health care and panhandling.

Under the resolution, homeless people would have the “right to unimpeded access” to public parks, transportation, facilities, sidewalks, buildings, restrooms and other spaces – meaning they could now legally set up camp in these public spaces.

An unhoused individual rests on a bench in Reynolds Square on Tuesday October 21, 2025. (Richard Burkhart/Savannah Morning News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

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The homeless population would also be entitled to access to the internet and the technology needed to achieve this.

A spokesperson for Tlaib did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on how this provision would work in practice.

Although the resolution is non-binding, meaning it does not have the force of law, Tlaib’s recommendations indicate how the left could push for changes in homelessness policy if Democrats regain power in Washington after the 2026 midterm elections.

Tlaib’s proposal, however, would grant the homeless population “freedom from harassment” from law enforcement, private businesses, property owners and “sheltered residents.”

Specifically, homeless people would benefit from protection against “banishment” from private property, which the Michigan Democrat’s measure calls a violation of an individual’s “basic civil and human rights.”

The homeless population reached more than 771,000 in January 2024, its highest level on record, according to a Housing and Urban Development (HUD) report released that year.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, Democrat of Michigan, is pushing the federal government to recognize and enforce many of the homeless population’s rights, including the right to “freedom from harassment” by law enforcement and landlords. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

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Several provisions of Tlaib’s resolution appear to directly challenge a 2024 Supreme Court ruling that made it easier for cities to combat homelessness by allowing local ordinances to impose camping bans on public property.

More than 100 local governments across the United States have banned homeless camping following the court ruling, NPR reported.

Tlaib’s measure sharply criticizes state and local governments that have banned “panhandling, loitering, sleeping in tents or vehicles” among other activities associated with the homeless population.

The resolution also calls on the federal government to achieve a long-term goal: ending the “unhousing crisis” by 2029.

Among Tlaib’s recommendations is to require the Trump administration to siphon off at least $168 billion in defense spending to “permanently end and prevent” individuals from becoming homeless.

Representative Cori Bush, Representative Ayanna Pressley and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez held a press conference at the Capitol in Washington, DC, on September 21, 2021, to introduce legislation granting the Department of Health and Human Services the authority to impose a federal moratorium on evictions for public health reasons. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Its resolution does not specify what nearly 20% of annual defense spending would be used for.

“Having access to a safe place to live is a human right,” Tlaib said in a statement when introducing the legislation. “Every year, Congress passes a new record military budget, and President Trump just requested a $1.5 trillion Pentagon budget this year. Experts say it would cost a fraction of that amount to end homelessness in our country.”

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Tlaib’s measure is similar to a resolution first introduced by former Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., in 2021. Bush, a former member of “the squad,” is plotting a comeback to reclaim her seat in the St. Louis-based House in the November midterm elections.