the economics of sleep

The homeless "right to sleep" is both a human and a civil right. Yet homelessness is a global problem of epidemic proportion, with so many innocent people criminalized for being poor. A place to sleep for those without a roof (which includes people who actually have jobs and are working, as well as entire families with nowhere to go) has become impossible to find for untold thousands. The odds of these people turning their lives around become slimmer the longer they "sleep rough," yet getting adequate sleep may be one of the most critical basic needs that could help them. [...]