National advocacy groups are opposing the criminalization of homelessness during a National Week of Action that started April 22 – the same day the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a closely observed case on whether an Oregon city can enforce its ban on public camping by homeless people.
City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Johnson is the most significant case concerning homelessness in decades. The Supreme Court will decide whether people experiencing homelessness have a constitutional right to camp on public property and whether local laws that restrict sleeping in public places constitute “cruel and unusual punishment,” under the Eighth Amendment.
Laws like these, known as “camping bans” have been legislated across the country – including in Georgia. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution found that over three dozen Georgia cities and counties have enacted laws that limit sleeping in public places. Many were created or expanded in the last five years, as housing affordability has worsened.
In fact, one of the questions raised in Monday’s oral arguments was whether cities should be allowed to enforce bans on people sleeping outside if there is no adequate shelter available to them.
The National Low Income Housing Coalition, the National Coalition for the Homeless, and the National Alliance to End Homeless, organized the Week of Action to advocate for safe, stable, affordable housing instead of criminalizing homelessness.
Find out how you can take action locally at www.johnsonvgrantspass.com. And learn more about the case from SCOTUSblog.com’s coverage. The Supreme Court is expected to rule on the case by the end of June.