Why a Supreme Court Case Isn’t Likely to Make a Dent in Homelessness

HOUSING AND URBAN ISSUES

• April 24, 2024 Carl Smith

The court is considering whether criminal penalties for sleeping in public places amount to cruel and unusual punishment. But no ruling on the issues before the high court will change the nature or scope of the problem. 

On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the most consequential case regarding homelessness to come before it in decades. The case arises out of ordinances in place in Grants Pass, Ore., that forbid sleeping in certain public spaces and camping in any public space, defining a “campsite” as any place where bedding material is present. Violations come with fines and potential criminal penalties.