How far can cities go to clear homeless camps? The U.S. Supreme Court will decide
How far can cities go to clear homeless camps? The U.S. Supreme Court will decide
Lower courts have said it's unconstitutional to punish people for sleeping outside if no shelter is available. Cities say these rulings have paralyzed their efforts to manage growing tent encampments.
In April, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear a major case that could reshape how cities manage homelessness. The legal issue is whether they can fine or arrest people for sleeping outside if there’s no shelter available. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has deemed this cruel and unusual punishment, and this case is a pivotal challenge to that ruling.
The high court declined to take up a similar case in 2019. But since then, homelessness rates have climbed relentlessly. Street encampments have grown larger and have expanded to new places, igniting intense backlash from residents and businesses. Homelessness and the lack of affordable housing that’s helping to drive it have become key issues for many voters.
The case, Grants Pass v. Johnson, could have dramatic implications for the record number of people living in tents and cars across the United States.
Oh good. With this SCOTUS, I assume they'll declare it open hunting season on homeless people.
I fucking hate it. I mean read this shit-
The legal issue is whether they can fine or arrest people for sleeping outside if there’s no shelter available.
FINE people who can't even afford a home when they have NO CHOICE but to sleep outside. And this even reaches SCOTUS? It wasn't immediately laughed out of court? Not in America.
I live some distance out of town near a highway. I have to drive over a small bridge to get into town. The bridge is still not in town, there's farm fields next to it. But there's a sign next to the bridge, in English and Spanish, that says 'no trespassing.' To be clear, this isn't some person putting it on their land, this is an official county government sign. And yes, before the sign went up, people were sleeping under there.
These people have nowhere to go. You can't even argue that they're wanted as bodies for the industrial prison system, because they usually aren't arrested, just chased off. And apparently given fines they can't afford now.
I honestly have no idea what cities and counties expect these people to do.
I honestly have no idea what cities and counties expect these people to do.
Die.
They expect us to die.
I spent half of my 20s homeless in Canada and was outright told by a cop that he would have preferred to come deal with my dead body. "Why don't you kill yourself? Make my life a lot easier so I wouldn't have to come and tell your lazy ass to move and get a fucking job. Get out of here. If I see you back here again then my boots won't and might walk into you."
Most cops were spiteful and vindictive but wouldn't outright say anything like he did. Most of the time I would ask for help. Like where should I go? Always afraid. Always nervous. I didn't want to be homeless. I was terrified. I wanted to be okay again. But everytime I asked for help they would shrug and say "That's not my job." Meanwhile the people whose job it would be? They're not funded.
They just want us to die.
I can absolutely believe that, but driving people out of wherever they settle isn't going to achieve that either. It seems like they think as long as they treat homeless people like shit, the problem will solve itself, despite that having been shown to be demonstrably untrue for, oh, I don't know... centuries?
Or they want to arrest them to increased the slave population.
That's what a baseball bat and dumpster are for.
There are a bunch of common sense principles that you'd think would be obvious to anyone but apparently aren't reflected in any laws. One of those principles is that nobody should ever be penalized for something beyond their control.
They would just find some way to claim that it wasn't beyond their control because they didn't pull themselves up by their bootstraps or whatever.
It wouldn't totally solve homelessness, but it would go a big way towards it if we offered housing, a UBI, and medical, rehab and psychological care free of charge. But this is America.
I feel conflicted, I have been noticing a homeless camp growing very close to my neighborhood and they are absolutely trashing the area, letting their dogs run loose in the streets. I want to sympathize with them but they harbor no respect for themselves or their environment.
You're surprised that people with no food, no shelter, no stability in life have poor manners? You're surprised they don't respect the society that has made them homeless and criminalized them for it?
I'm confused here. You understand this is why the left wants to give them homes food and stability, because people who lack those things are going to destroy themselves and everything around them. People who HAVE those things can often become contributing members of society in a few years.
They don't have to EARN shelter and food, we give it to them because it helps US AND THEM. It's cheaper and more ethical. Our current system pays extra to torture the homeless because people like you are "conflicted" and expect the homeless to behave themselves before we help them.
Would you respect yourself or your environment when you've been ground into the dirt? No one respects them, why should they respect anyone or anything? I don't blame them at all.
Instead of being upset about their presence, maybe do something to help them? Like try to get your town or city to house them?
Their purpose is to serve as a visible (but not too visible) threat to force people to sell their lives in exchange for the money needed to avoid that fate.
Yes, charging them money for the crime of not having enough money should solve the issue! Then we can pay to house them in prison instead of paying to house them in housing where they might have gotten a job.
Instead of fines or arrests, how about accommodation?
"House the homeless? I'd much rather my tax money go to buying tanks for the police." - Average NIMBY
But that would cost rich people money. Can’t have that.
I mean you don’t get rich without exploiting people. You don’t get rich being morally responsible.
This is literally a war. It’s rich vs poor.
This is going to end up with crucifixion being legalized.
They should legalize crucifixion but only for people who don’t return the shopping trolley.
I'm shocked this isn't legal in the more Jesus-y places already
Supreme Court about to legalize homeless hunting licenses.
OH MY FUCKING GOD HOUSE THEM
Serious question, where?
If they're willing to put them in jail then the state is already willing to pay for their housing and healthcare.
I bet it's cheaper to build housing than keeping the same person in prison for a non-crime such as living rough.
Oh wait there are some studies already
in a house
I am curious how they will rule. On one hand the Catholics are going to be told to not go after the homeless on the other hand Alito and Clarence are going to get a donation from the Chamber of Commerce.
Bell Riots, here we come.
Sorry for the fandom link.
Oh the supreme Court? So flamethrowers?
But powered by oil made from
humanhomeless fatty tissues.So a biofuel, is good for you. Unless you look at your landlord funny, then it's a bit harmful to you.
It's the new BEFNG ones, you're fine. Unless you're at the other end
It's not a war against homelessness. It's a war against the homeless.
The “problem” has gotten worse and is not just in the big cities. It is going on everywhere. A lot of these people just want their freedom to “be”. Most of the cities just want them to leave. If you offer them services, they will have to want them or at least follow the minimum rules at a facility (like be sober) to stay there. Some just aren’t going to do it. Period. I speak as a recovering alcoholic and know this to be true. I don’t think municipalities want them dead, they just want them to be somewhere else. Do they have the right to push them out? Will be an interesting case to follow.
At a certain point it's the same thing. When the government makes it that hard to live, it's just going you die and solve the problem for them. Disability is the same way.
Hunting them down for sport wins 6 votes against 3
... so it's the USA supreme court that comes up with Soylent Green recipe?
Actually kinda makes sense.
How far? Like housing them and treating their physical and mental health issues? Legalizing drugs so that we don't criminalize addiction? Can you really go to far too help people in need?