The Louisiana Streets to Success Act, or House Bill 211, passed in Louisiana in June 2026 and permits the arrest of anyone sleeping outside without authorization.
This policy is a failure for several reasons. The bill does not fix homelessness; it only hides it. It creates an additional barrier because once individuals are arrested and go to jail, they have a record, which prevents them from being able to find a job or a house upon release.
The other option instead of arrest is to pay a $500 fine, but that is not a viable alternative since unhoused people often do not have that money upfront…