Supreme Court Ruling - The Criminalization of Homelessness
We strongly object to the recent Supreme Court decision on the case of City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Gloria Johnson, which will make it easier for authorities to punish people for experiencing homelessness, even when there is no adequate shelter.
The Court’s ruling runs counter to our deeply held belief that this nation’s laws and policies should protect the most vulnerable people in our community – not threaten them. At Abode, our stance is clear: Homelessness is not a crime, it is a crisis – one that is a result of systemic failures that have produced fewer than 24 affordable units for every 100 people who need them.
Criminalizing homelessness is wrong – in every way. It is cruel, ineffective, costly, and it creates unnecessary barriers to fighting poverty. Arresting or fining people who don’t have a home worsens cycles of homelessness and makes it more difficult to find solutions.
We respectfully but wholeheartedly condemn the Supreme Court’s ruling on the case of City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Gloria Johnson. Cruelty and craven policies do nothing to solve poverty and homelessness.
The solution to homelessness is housing, not handcuffs.