July 2, 2024 – The Supreme Court ruled last week that people experiencing homelessness can be punished by their local government simply because there is not enough housing or shelter available for everyone to have a place to sleep at night. The Court had an opportunity to help address the nation’s housing crisis, but instead came out in favor of persecuting the poor with fines and jail sentences.

Homelessness is solved by providing housing that is available and affordable for everyone in a community. The Court’s decision overlooks the lack of affordable housing that drives homelessness in rural areas like Grants Pass, Oregon, and elsewhere across the United States. It ignores extensive evidence that demonstrates housing with social services is the effective way to address homelessness. It disregards how unusually hard it is to get a job or an education when experiencing homelessness, and how cruel it is to add a criminal record to the mix.

The Housing Assistance Council calls on local officials to reject the idea that homelessness is a crime. If your small town is facing a housing shortage, please contact us. We will do everything in our power to help you address the conditions that lead to homelessness in rural America and to improve U.S. national housing policy.

David Lipsetz
President and CEO
Housing Assistance Council