Opinion: It’s Time We Acknowledge the Violence Endured by People Experiencing Homelessness

“Living without a home—a reality we’ve both faced—has shown us that the unhoused are often viewed not as people but as easy targets for acts of cruelty. The rampant criminalization of homelessness further lowers the threshold for violence against us.”

“If a dog bites a human, that’s not news. But if a human bites the dog, that’s news.” This saying reveals a troubling truth about our society’s selective attention to violence and suffering. When it comes to bias-motivated attacks on people experiencing homelessness, this disparity is glaring. Much like the proverbial dog bite, routine violence against the unhoused seldom makes headlines unless the aggressor is also unhoused, despite research that shows people experiencing homelessness are far more likely to be victims of violent crime than perpetrators.

This selective outrage perpetuates cycles of dehumanization, evidenced by online posts celebrating attacks on the unhoused with bricks, fireworks, and heated-up honey buns. The more marginalized the victim, the less likely there are to be consequences, reinforcing the notion that these individuals “don’t exist.”

Living without a home—a reality we’ve both faced—has shown us that the unhoused are often viewed not as people but as easy targets for acts of cruelty. The rampant criminalization of homelessness further lowers the threshold for violence against us.

We have witnessed firsthand the brutalization of our vulnerable neighbors—a woman’s belongings hurled off a train, another assaulted on a bus, curled up on the ground, and stomped on. The unhoused are beaten to death, soaked in gasoline and set alight, shot, stabbed, doused with acid, or, as one of us experienced firsthand, held in a chokehold until our limbs went limp. The only difference between this act and the one that claimed the life of our unhoused neighbor, Jordan Neely, on the F train last year was that of survival. 

What is most disturbing about the video of Neely’s death is the bystanders watching, uncompelled to speak up, act, or offer first aid. Why wasn’t Jordan’s life worth saving? Was it simply because he was “homeless”? We have both worn the same label—homeless—one that killed Jordan twice, first through dehumanization, then strangulation. Would our lives have been worth saving? 

In light of this pervasive violence, it is hard not to remember what one of our mothers told us when we were young: “Baby, never underestimate a man’s capacity for inhumanity to his fellow man.” Sadly, conversations around these events are often fear based and revolve around the actual or perceived homelessness of the victim, not the violent act perpetrated against them. This session, New York’s State Legislature has the chance to resist this notion and protect its most vulnerable citizens from bias-driven violence through the passage of the Homeless Protection Act. 

The Homeless Protection Act (A.2191A/S.6081B), introduced by Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal and Senator Luis R. Sepúlveda, would expand New York hate crime laws to include homelessness as a protected class. This means that an attack against a person perceived to be experiencing homelessness motivated by bias could be treated as a hate crime. It would also prompt the collection of higher quality data on bias-motivated crimes, and help combat stigma surrounding those experiencing homelessness, while also adding greater legal protection for people experiencing homelessness.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “The law cannot make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me.” Similarly, this legislation can’t stop hateful sentiments, but it can prevent and hold accountable those who target fellow humans based solely on their perceived housing status. 

Despite the increased acknowledgment of society’s shortcomings in addressing mental health, affordable housing shortages, and systemic failures, we simply aren’t doing enough. We urge all New Yorkers—lawmakers, advocates, and citizens alike—to support the passage of the Homeless Protection Act. This legislation represents more than just legal safeguards; it is a step towards reaffirming all New Yorkers’ inherent worth and dignity, regardless of where they sleep at night.

M.A. Dennis is an advocate at Care For the Homeless and Will Woods is an advocate at Urban Pathways. They are both members of the Pass the HPA Campaign, a group committed to ensuring that the Homeless Protection Act becomes law in New York.