In major homelessness case, US Supreme Court upholds ban on sleeping outside (2024)

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In major homelessness case, US Supreme Court upholds ban on sleeping outside? ›

The case is the high court's most significant ruling on the issue in decades and comes as a rising number of people in the U.S. are without a permanent place to live. In a 6-3 decision along ideological lines, the high court found that outdoor sleeping bans don't violate the Eighth Amendment.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court cleared the way for cities to enforce bans on homeless people sleeping outside in public places on Friday, overturning a ruling from a California-based appeals court that found such laws amount to cruel and unusual punishment when shelter space is lacking.

Specifically, the Supreme Court determined that the “cruel and unusual punishment” clause of the Eighth Amendment does not prohibit the City of Grants Pass from enforcing criminal punishments against people who are homeless for camping outside in the city.

The U.S. Supreme Court says cities can punish people for sleeping and camping in public places, overturning lower court rulings that deemed it cruel and unusual.

The Supreme Court on Friday allowed cities to enforce bans on homeless people sleeping outside in public places, ruling along ideological lines that such laws don't amount to cruel and unusual punishment, even in West Coast areas where shelter space is lacking.

Bans on homeless encampments in Texas drew the effective backing of the U.S. Supreme Court in a sweeping ruling Friday that allows cities and states to fine people experiencing homelessness for sleeping in public places amid record-high homelessness levels.

The Supreme Court on Friday upheld an Oregon city's ban on homeless residents sleeping outdoors, a decision likely to reverberate far beyond the West Coast as cities across the country grapple with a growing homelessness crisis. The ruling, by a 6-to-3 vote, split along ideological lines.

Tents in Fruitdale Park in Grants Pass in May 2024. On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the city's ban against homeless people camping in public spaces. That ruling changes law in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, which includes nine Western states where the majority of the country's unsheltered people live.

The 6-3 opinion came from Justice Neil Gorsuch. The Supreme Court on Friday ruled that a local ordinance to bar anyone without a permanent residency from sleeping outside does not amount to "cruel and unusual" punishment under the Eighth Amendment.

The bill creates the 'Colorado Right to Rest Act', which establishes basic rights for persons experiencing homelessness, including, but not limited to, the right to use and move freely in public spaces, to rest in public spaces, to eat or accept food in any public space where food is not prohibited, to occupy a legally ...

Can a homeless person be jailed for sleeping outside? ›

Washington, D.C. — In a profoundly disappointing ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court today decided that it is constitutional to arrest or fine homeless individuals for using survival items like blankets or pillows in public spaces when no alternative shelter is available.

Spending a night outdoors is an easy way to replenish these oxygen levels and boost serotonin. In conclusion, sleeping outside can promote your sleep quality, relieve stress, improve your ability to think, and enhance your mood.

In California, many cities have enacted several laws to discourage camping and homeless-related activities. While being unhoused is not a crime, the City of Arcadia upholds its laws and ordinances for all residents, including those experiencing homelessness.

The U.S. Supreme Court today granted cities more power to arrest, cite and fine people who sleep outside in public places — overturning six years of legal protections for homeless residents in California and other western states. In Grants Pass v.

U.S. Supreme Court says cities can punish people for sleeping in public places. In its biggest decision on homelessness in decades, the U.S. Supreme Court today ruled that cities can ban people from sleeping and camping in public places.

Our Statement on Supreme Court Decision Upholding Ban on Sleeping Outdoors. Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that it is not cruel and unusual to impose a fine on an unhoused person who is sleeping outside, even when they have no other place to go.

Grants Pass Ruling. The U.S. Supreme Court today decided that the US Constitution does not protect homeless people against cruel and unusual punishment, even when they have no choice to sleep in public using items like blankets or pillows.

Homelessness crisis

The ruling, which was split along ideological lines, reverses the 9th Circuit's decision that previously blocked the local law because it found the ordinance criminalized the status of being homeless and was therefore a violation of the Eighth Amendment's bar on cruel and unusual punishment.

Mckinney-vento act

The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is the primary federal statute that authorizes assistance to people experiencing homelessness, including housing interventions and supportive services.

Homelessness violates fundamental human rights such as dignity, the right to life, and the right to an adequate standard of living, which includes access to housing, food, and clothing.