Over half a million people are estimated to be homeless in the United States on any given night, and a case before the nation’s high court could grant states the authority to criminalize sleeping outdoors by individuals with no other place to go.
The case, “City of Grants Pass v. Johnson”, has far-reaching implications, particularly for California, where major cities like Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco have garnered national attention due to their increasing homeless populations.
USC experts warn that regardless of the verdict, the case won’t solve the real problem fueling rising rates of homelessness in California and beyond: a lack of affordable housing and support services.
If they say the bans are legitimate, they’re effectively criminalizing being poor or homeless unless we provide them some kind of housing. What else are those people supposed to do? Especially considering many have mental health issues and are unemployable without the treatment that they can’t afford.
For real.
Check this out for some info about how human rights apply to this situation. I pulled out excerpts if you don’t want to read the whole thing:
[2016] [resource] OHCHR | Report on the Right to Life and + the Right to Adequate Housing
[resource] The human right to adequate housing: Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing