Justices to consider constitutionality of punishing people for sleeping outside as western states seek to address encampments
A case that could significantly change how US cities respond to the growing homelessness crisis has reached the supreme court as record numbers of people in America find themselves without a permanent place to live.
The justices on Monday will consider a challenge to rulings from a California-based appeals court that found punishing people for sleeping outside when shelter space is lacking amounts to unconstitutional cruel and unusual punishment.
The case stems from a 2019 camping ban enacted by city officials in Grants Pass, Oregon, a small mountain town where rents are rising and there is just one overnight shelter for adults. Debra Blake, who had lost her job a decade earlier and was unhoused, was cited for illegal camping. After being convicted and fined, she soon joined other unhoused residents in suing the city over the ordinance.
Entering stage two of some dystopian fiction written many, many years ago. I hear markets are doing great, record profits in the pandemic age.
He asked what would happen in the city if the ordinances were to remain blocked.
“The city’s hands will be tied. It will be forced to surrender its public spaces, as it [already] has been,” Evangelis said.
This is the crux of it. The city does not consider the homeless to be the “public”. Can’t be homeless and a citizen at the same time apparently.
To make this clear, this is a about the government further destroying the entire concept of “public spaces”. Dividing further who counts as “the public”.
Maybe they should invest in proper shelters then if they don’t want them in the parks…
If they want to allow cities to make laws punishing people for sleeping in tents in undesignated areas, they need to provide adequate temporary housing at no cost, and with no prerequisites, like being sober.
Or even just free to use camp grounds. Just have a sweep done every couple weeks to do cleanup, not even just for drugs just because thatd be good for maintenance.
The thing to keep in mind is that the specific question being asked here is: can cities punish homeless people for existing outdoors if they haven’t provided somewhere for the homeless to go to? Grants Pass, OR and Co. say yes.
Time yet again for the Supreme Court to attack human rights again! This time it’s the right to exist!
Bell Riots - September 2024
Welcome to the United States where we literally try EVERYTHING except addressing root causes.
You are assuming they want to solve a problem that they created.
I don’t have any faith in this Supreme Court to do the right thing. I am sure the facsiest and for profit prisons hope they vote their way.
We should revolt if they do. How do you make illegal to be homeless if our government and society won’t help them not be so?
Democrats should rally people against this but they won’t.
How do you make it illegal to sleep on your own planet (which is something every human must do)?
Well we get to watch the Supreme Court make that decision. I really want to see how Thomas and Roberts justify doing just that.
It would seem that doing the morally right thing here would have far reaching affects. However, I too, don’t see how we could consider homelessness a crime. That’s just too far. Those folks basically have nothing left to lose. Not a great combo if you want to keep the peace.
