U.S. Supreme Court says cities can make it illegal to sleep or camp in public spaces

(JULY 5, 2024) The U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., decided recently made a decision. Cities can make it illegal for people to sleep or camp in public places. This decision was made with a 6-3 vote. That means six of the judges voted "yes". Three judges voted "no".

The decision helps cities like Grants Pass in Oregon. That city brought the problem to the court. Grants Pass and other cities argued that old laws made it difficult to manage public spaces and ensure safety. According to those laws, it was cruel to punish people for sleeping outside if they had nowhere else to go. According to Cambridge Learner's Dictionary, cruel means "extremely unkind, or causing people or animals to suffer."

The court's decision is important for cities with a lot of homeless people. Seattle is one example. Ann Davison is a lawyer. She works for Seattle. She explains, "We are trying to show there’s respect for the public areas that we all need to have.” 

However, some people are worried. Diane Yentel is president of National Low Income Housing Coalition. She asks, “Where do people experiencing homelessness go if every community decides to punish them for their homelessness?” Ed Johnson works for Oregon Law Center. That organization helped the people fight Grants Pass. He says government shouldn't punish people for something they can't control.

For now, the decision affects only nine Western states. Cities in those states say it is a difficult problem because there aren't enough shelter beds. Also, some homeless people refuse shelters due to rules about no pets or no drugs.

Some people say the decision is still unclear. Some cities do not know what they can do and what they can't do. Those people think local officials know better than courts. They say the bigger problem is expensive rent.  They say the real solution is more affordable housing.