Supreme Court weighs whether cities can punish unhoused people for sleeping outside
NPR Online NewsApr 22
SCOTUS Hears Grants Pass Homelessness Case
The Facts
The US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) Monday heard arguments in City of Grants Pass, Ore. v. Johnson, a case which calls into question municipalities' right to ban sleeping in public during the US' homelessness crisis. A reported 256K people were without shelter in the US on a given night last year.
In 2018, representatives for homeless residents of Grants Pass challenged the legality of a series of ordinances the town of around 40K in southern Oregon began to intensely enforce in 2013 in response to complaints from residents about people sleeping and defecating in public.
The Spin
Left narrative
The conservative justices unfortunately seem inclined to side with the city in this case. Their questions seemed unsympathetic to the people involved and they seemed inclined to let Grants Pass do what it wants, as long as it doesn't go too far. But the liberal justices rightly were more concerned that Grants Pass and every city could begin a banishment race to push homeless people out of their jurisdictions.
Right narrative
The conservative justices aren't being cold-hearted, they're being realistic. The lower-court ruling limiting how cities could manage their homeless problem wreaked havoc on the municipalities and made it unsafe for people to enjoy public recreation spaces. It's possible to be sympathetic to the homeless while also realizing that permitting bad behavior is harmful to society.
Nerd narrative
There's a 15% chance that the US Supreme Court will see a change in its composition in 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.