The Supreme Court is currently hearing arguments on whether cities have the right to criminalize unhoused individuals for sleeping outside, amidst reports of 8 million people in housing need. This legal scrutiny follows a controversial request by California's Governor and San Francisco's Mayor to overturn a ruling that prohibits cities from penalizing people for sleeping with a blanket in towns without shelters. Advocates and politicians, including Representatives Bowman and Pressley, alongside RepCori, have voiced strong opposition to criminalizing homelessness, arguing that it does not address the root causes of rough sleeping and unfairly punishes the most vulnerable members of society. Additionally, a coalition of six attorneys general, led by the Maryland Office of the Attorney General, has submitted an amicus brief to the Supreme Court opposing the criminalization of homelessness, emphasizing that such measures exacerbate the problem and unfairly target those without alternatives.
I led a coalition of six attorneys general in a Supreme Court brief against punishing homeless people for sleeping on public property. Criminalizing homelessness worsens the problem and unfairly targets those with nowhere else to go. We're urging the Supreme Court to uphold… https://t.co/FpgNCSYIrv
Unhoused people deserve dignity & support, not criminalization. This month, SCOTUS is hearing arguments on if cities can criminalize unhoused people for sleeping outside. I’m joining @RepCori to urge SCOTUS to reject the criminalization of unhoused people just for existing.
As policymakers, we have an obligation to affirm housing as a human right for all – free of criminalization, discrimination, or harassment. Proud to join @RepCori's amicus brief urging SCOTUS to do exactly that, by not criminalizing unhoused people for simply existing. https://t.co/soQCk2Cj6H
Unhoused people deserve dignity and support, not criminalization. Today, SCOTUS is hearing arguments on whether cities can criminalize unhoused people for sleeping outside. I’m joining @RepCori to urge SCOTUS to reject the criminalization of unhoused people just for existing.
“How is criminalizing homelessness and fining the most vulnerable people in society who already have nothing going to address the underlying issues which cause rough sleeping? No one should be punished for being homeless - no one, it’s obscene” https://t.co/32BNHfjdjY
Just filed amicus brief on this months Supreme Court hearing on Homelessness. Why did CA's Governor and SF's Mayor ask SCOTUS to hear a case to overturn a ruling barring cities from jailing people for sleeping with a blanket in a town with no shelter? More briefs coming tomorrow https://t.co/3jTbcOyXCJ
“There are 8 million people in this country in housing need, plus millions more who have a roof over their head in the private rented sector but live with the fear of arbitrary eviction or rents rising beyond their reach” It’s shocking & the response from politicians is feeble https://t.co/x84gfGiAnc