Opposition to H.R. 4878, the “Make Our Streets Safe Again Act (MOSSA Act)”

I am writing as a constituent to urge you to oppose H.R. 4878, the MOSSA Act. While the bill claims to “end crime and disorder,” its approach would dangerously expand criminalization of poverty, undermine public health strategies, and trample civil rights. Below are reasons I am opposed and would urge you to oppose this bill. 1. Criminalizing Homelessness Rather than Addressing Its Causes The MOSSA Act prioritizes enforcement of anti-camping, loitering, and vagrancy laws, effectively punishing people for having nowhere else to go. Homelessness is not a crime — it is a condition of poverty, lack of affordable housing, and insufficient services. Criminalization only increases barriers to work, stability, and reintegration. 2. Forced Institutionalization and Erosion of Civil Liberties The bill directs the Attorney General to seek reversal of legal precedents protecting individuals from arbitrary civil commitment. This would allow widespread forced institutionalization of people with mental illness or addiction — policies historically linked to abuse, overcrowding, and human rights violations. 3. Undermining Proven “Housing First” and Harm Reduction Models The MOSSA Act would strip support from Housing First — a bipartisan, evidence-based approach that reduces homelessness, improves stability, and lowers public costs. It also targets harm reduction programs, despite overwhelming evidence that such initiatives reduce overdoses, save lives, and connect people to treatment. 4. Expanding Surveillance and Law Enforcement Control Over the Unhoused Sections of the bill require data collection and law enforcement access to personal health information from homelessness programs. This raises serious concerns about privacy, discrimination, and the chilling effect on people seeking services. 5. Redirecting Resources Away from Real Solutions Instead of investing in affordable housing, mental health services, and supportive programs, the MOSSA Act diverts resources toward encampment sweeps, expanded prisons, and coerced treatment. This is a costly, punitive approach that has repeatedly failed to reduce homelessness in states and cities where it has been tried. A Better Path Forward If Congress is serious about addressing homelessness and public safety, it should expand investment in affordable housing, mental health care, substance use treatment, and job training not to revive failed punitive models. For these reasons, I strongly urge you to vote NO on H.R. 4878 and to advocate for policies rooted in dignity, evidence, and human rights. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.