The Next Amendment to the constitution of the United States can be the right to shelter.
Our Goal: To fund projects, build products, and deliver research that will kick-start a national conversation on a right to shelter.
Q & A
What is the ultimate goal of the Next Amendment?
A national right to shelter won't be added to the Constitution unless we can show that a right to shelter can be executed cheaply, humanely and efficiently. Eventually a national right to shelter could be added to the Constitution as the 28th amendment. Here is example language for a right to shelter amendment:
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Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States providing that a right to shelter be extended by the Constitution to United States citizens.
28th Amendment
(Proposed)
Section 1
The right of citizens of the United States to individual shelter shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state.
Section 2
The Congress and the several states shall have concurrent power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
What is a right to shelter?
That the state has the responsibility to extend shelter from the elements to all citizens.
What is a ‘Housing First’ model for combating homelessness?
The below article lays out the core ideas behind housing first.
https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/jun/03/its-a-miracle-helsinkis-radical-solution-to-homelessness
Essentially, the idea is that housing and/or shelter should be provided not as an incentive for good behavior but as a baseline entitlement for a citizen.
What are some examples of US cities exploring the housing first model?
Oakland is an example of a US city exploring housing first with it's Tuff Shed program:
https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2019/04/04/oakland-to-invest-millions-in-tuff-shed-program-to-help-house-homeless
What is the difference between affordable housing and a right to shelter mean?
A right to shelter would be different to affordable housing, which focuses on long term homes for individuals and families at a reasonable cost in expensive, crowded urban areas. A right to shelter on the other hand focuses only on shelter from the elements and a consistent location to store minimal belongings. Ultimately it is simply about raising the lowest that a citizen can fall to be above living on the streets.
Learning about what works and is efficient, cost-effective and humane is why small-city-trials and studies are a part of this movement.
How could a right to shelter work?
Slowly!
The above article on Helsinki's work gives a sense of how one city can implement housing first and end homelessness as the lowest to which a citizen can fall.
Here's a loose idea on how a movement for a right to shelter could process:
Trial a right to shelter in 5 small cities in the US all with small homelessness populations.
Work with conservative think tanks on how to cheaply and efficiently implement a right to shelter nationally.
Use the information gathered from trials and proposals from think-tanks on the right to pass a right to shelter in a state constitution.