Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Government Reform, Natural Resources, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
The Housing not Handcuffs Act of 2025 would prohibit federal agencies from criminalizing basic survival activities by homeless individuals on federal public lands. The bill allows homeless people to engage in life-sustaining activities like sleeping, eating, and resting on federal property; solicit and share food and money; store belongings; practice religion; and live in parked vehicles—as long as adequate alternative indoor housing is not available. The law defines "adequate" housing as accessible shelter that accommodates the person's needs (including pets and family members), requires no daily reapplication, costs nothing, and provides necessary amenities, with free transportation if the shelter is in another jurisdiction. The bill creates enforcement mechanisms allowing the Justice Department and homeless individuals to sue federal officials who violate these protections and recover attorney's fees, while also establishing a legal defense for homeless people charged with crimes related to survival activities if they lacked access to adequate shelter.
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