Advocates rally at Louisiana Capitol for the homeless

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Dozens of advocates gathered on the steps of the Louisiana Capitol Thursday, calling on lawmakers to work together to tackle the root causes of housing insecurity and to advocate for the homeless and unhoused.

“This is vital,” one advocate said. “It’s vital that we show up, that we’re in community with one another, that we’re speaking with one voice, and that the legislators hear the message we’re trying to send.”

Among those leading the call for change was Elsa Dimitriadis, Executive Director of the Acadian Regional Coalition on Homelessness and Housing. Dimitriadis said homelessness is not a distant issue—it’s something her organization confronts daily.

“I wish people could see the faces that we do every day,” she said. “It’s our aging community who are priced out of housing, it’s young people exiting foster care into homelessness, and it’s veterans.”

Dimitriadis stressed that homelessness can affect anyone.

“We’re all just a couple of bad circumstances, bad decisions, or unexpected events away from being unhoused,” she said.

At the heart of Thursday’s rally was concern over a bill moving through the Senate that would make unauthorized public camping, including homeless encampments, a criminal offense. The legislation proposes a $500 fine for a first offense and increases to $1,000 and possible jail time for repeat violations.

Critics argue that the bill would criminalize homelessness and put vulnerable individuals in a cycle of poverty and incarceration.

“Homelessness is not a crime,” said Cheryl Richard, an advocate who once experienced homelessness herself. “We need to speak to those we put in office and tell them this must stop.”

Richard noted that many who showed up to protest the legislation had either experienced homelessness themselves or had close friends or family who had.

Other advocates echoed the call for solutions rooted in compassion and cooperation.

“We just want to work with state leaders to find better ways to support the homeless and unhoused community,” one advocate said.

As the legislative session continues, opponents of the bill say they’ll keep pressing for policies that prioritize housing, not punishment.

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