Of the approximately 650,000 people that meet Housing and Urban Development’s definition of homeless, approximately 40 percent are sleeping outside tonight. It’s not that they’re avid stargazers; they have no choice. There is another case before the Supreme Court soon that hasn’t drawn nearly as much attention as the presidential immunity case. Probably because it involves those struggling with homelessness we don’t want to think about.
Grant’s Pass v. Johnson started in 2018 when a small town in Oregon began ticketing people for sleeping outside with a pillow, or blanket or cardboard. The tickets were $150. On appeal, the 9th Circuit Court or Appeals found that this violated the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment to arrest or fine somebody for sleeping outside when they have no place else to go. We are not going to arrest our way out of homelessness.
The push to criminalize homelessness is happening across the country. Bills against “unlawful camping” are awaiting the outcome of Grants Pass v. Johnson.
I am proud of Sen. Maria Cantwell, D- Wash., and her tireless efforts to encourage the building of low-income housing stock to meet the demands of those we avert our eyes from now. There are many proven, data-backed solutions to homelessness such as the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act that will keep people on the edge of homelessness in their homes. We can do better than making the problem invisible, we can make it go away.
Mary Minor
Snohomish
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