Many Cities Ban Homelessness After Supreme Court Ruling

Since June, people have been banned from sleeping outside in nearly 100 cities. Supreme Court A city in Oregon rules that criminalization is allowed homelessness despite the lack of public shelters. The policy has support from politicians, Democrats and Republicans across the country.

As it becomes a residence more expensive and the harder-to-find U.S. is seeing record levels of homelessness. 650,000 people in one night in January last year homeless – all time record, accordingly National Alliance to End Homelessness.

In California’s San Joaquin County, Supervisor Tom Patti led an effort to increase restrictions on homelessness. According to the new regulations, people are not allowed to sleep in cars or stay in one place for more than an hour. They have to move at least 300 feet at a time, so theoretically they have to move. to walk 1.3 miles per day.

“It’s cruel to let them stay put. “We want to encourage them to come to a better place,” said Patti, a Republican. said NPR.

People now face fines of up to $1,000 and six months in jail.

“We’re not hardcore,” he said. “But we know that if someone is trying to build a mattress palace with their blue awnings and tents, we say, ‘No, no, no, you’re not allowed to do that, you’re trespassing.'”

Patti suggested: approach focused on reuniting homeless people with family or friends; This can be detrimental to those escaping abusive situations.

“Now it’s ‘Hello? Where are you from? Where is your support network? “Let us help you return home,” he said.

National Homelessness Law Center in November defined 99 regulations restricting sleep passed in 26 states camp outside, while the other 66 are still waiting.

“It’s time for our elected officials to realize that half of this country is struggling to pay rent and we need to solve the affordable housing crisis.” in question Jesse Rabinowitz, spokesman for the National Homelessness Law Center. “It’s the only way we’ll see fewer people sleeping outside.”

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“Every bill is a little different,” Rabinowitz said recently said Nevada Current. “The two most important things they all have in common are that none of them solve homelessness and they all make homelessness worse.”

In the case of City of Grants Pass – JohnsonA group suing the city argued that criminalizing sleeping outside violates the Constitution’s protection against “cruel and unusual punishment,” but the Supreme Court’s ruling conservative majority disagree.

“Sleep is not a crime, but a biological necessity,” liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in her dissent.

“If the Supreme Court allows such a sentencing regime, then we will be racing to the bottom to make it as uncomfortable for people to survive as possible,” said John Do, senior staff attorney at American Civil. Liberties Union of Northern California, said Rolling stone In March.

“Jurisdictions will try to outdo each other in terms of more costly, more punitive and more effective measures,” he added.

Some cities are looking for solutions. Denver Basic Income Project, a nonprofit organization in Colorado given Up to $12,000 in one year, with no strings attached, to more than 800 homeless study participants. The study found a “remarkable” increase in housing. A decrease in public expenditures and the use of public services was also detected.

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