For example, the editorial argues that “absent a credible threat of sanctions against public camps, government authorities have little power to induce people to go to shelter beds when they are available.” But such statements are not only false; grant pass case. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has ruled that criminalizing camping is unconstitutional. do not have Alternative shelter available. The homeless plaintiffs in this case do not dispute the punishment of homeless people who deny available shelter options or the imposition of appropriate hours or limits on outdoor sleeping.
The Ninth Circuit held that “shelters operated by church organizations may not count as available space because faith-based environments may create the potential for unconstitutional religious establishments.” The proposal similarly misrepresents several relevant facts. In fact, the Ninth Circuit held that refusal to participate in the Gospel Rescue Mission in Grants Pass could not result in arrest, not because the shelter was religious, but rather because “residents spent a day at the mission. You have to work 6 hours, 6 days a week” (unpaid). People who were unable to work due to disabilities were prohibited from entering or exiting evacuation centers. And residents “had to attend an approved place of worship every Sunday, and that place of worship had to uphold ‘traditional Christian teachings, such as the Apostles’ Creed.'”
Finally, the editorial ignores extensive Eighth Amendment precedent regarding unjust punishment, which prohibits harsh sanctions of this kind for completely innocent and unavoidable human acts such as sleeping. The Ninth Circuit’s decision does not preclude cities from addressing homelessness in sensible, proven and humane ways. This decision prohibits only pointless, costly and counterproductive criminalization of unavoidable human behavior.
Claire Pastore, Los Angeles
As a doctor who served homeless people in California, I can tell you that no one wants to live on the sidewalk or in a park. But with insane living costs and no sensible plan for Western cities and states to build more affordable housing, it’s virtually impossible for people experiencing homelessness to find a place to live. It becomes.
A large-scale 2023 study of people experiencing homelessness in the state by the Benioff Homeless and Housing Initiative at the University of California, San Francisco found that 90 percent of them had housing in California before becoming homeless in California. and 75 percent had housing in the same county where they became homeless in California. I’m homeless now. People move to the West Coast not because they think it’s easier to live on the streets or because the weather is nicer in those states. If this theory had any weight, the southeastern United States would also be a “attractor” for homeless people. But we’re not having the same conversation about Florida or Georgia.
Additionally, large cities in the Northeast don’t have the same street homelessness problems that West Coast states have, due to laws such as New York’s Right to Shelter. The city must provide enough shelter space to meet the needs of the homeless population on that day. In contrast, San Francisco has fewer shelter beds than its unhoused population, leaving many people with no choice but to sleep outdoors, in their cars or in public spaces.
The obvious answer is to build more shelters and supportive housing. But society’s hypocrisy is killing our neighbors. No one is going to do the right thing just because it makes them feel uncomfortable or they have to live near “poor people.”
I would also like to point out that from a purely economic perspective, it makes no sense to criminalize homelessness. People who don’t have the funds to pay for housing obviously don’t have the funds to pay the fines associated with trespassing, so they don’t pay the fines and end up serving time in prison. The cost of feeding and housing inmates in county jails far exceeds the cost of building shelters and long-term affordable housing.
As the Supreme Court thinks Grants Pass vs. Johnson; Policy makers addressing homelessness need to consider two important questions: The question is: Are people living outdoors doing so voluntarily or involuntarily? And will there be shelter for them?
As part of a 2023 study evaluating 110 drug possession decriminalization measures in Oregon, researchers surveyed 468 drug users in eight Oregon counties, including Josephine County, where Grants Pass is located.
In our survey, 92 percent of people reported having slept outdoors in a car or tent in the past year, and 85 percent were homeless or unstablely housed. Of those who reported being homeless, 93% said they would like to obtain housing. (In Josephine County, the number was 87%.) These findings show that people in Oregon are involuntarily living outdoors.
We also investigated the availability of shelters. Of those seeking housing, 71% looked for housing in the past year. But only 25 percent of them were able to secure housing, and none of them were in Josephine County. For those on the waiting list, he said, the average time it took for a home to become available was 17 months. These data show that most people seeking housing are unable to obtain it.
Until these facts change, people will continue to live outdoors.
Esther Chan, Emeryville, California
The author is a researcher at RTI International.
An April 21 editorial by George F. Will argues that homelessness is a potentially dangerous social illness, and that homelessness is a “multiple “It is the result of the choices made by the people.” Substance abuse. ” With that in mind, instead of addressing society’s moral obligation to care for its most vulnerable, Will spends much of his column on legal logic and the impact of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision. It’s a shame that I spent so much money on it.
According to the latest data, 4.2 million youth and young adults experience homelessness each year. Of these, 700,000 have no family or guardian. Some people have been forced to leave their homes for reasons beyond their control. Additionally, many young people are aging out of foster care without the knowledge, skills, abilities, and support systems to succeed. Homeless minors and young people may be suffering from mental illness related to childhood trauma through no fault of their own. Her 40 percent of homeless youth have no shelter.
We bear collective responsibility for the multiple systemic failures that ultimately lead to youth homelessness. These young people need solutions that address the root causes of youth homelessness. The solution, suggested by Mr. Will and those who support overturning the Ninth Circuit’s decision, is to institutionalize homeless youth against their will, incarcerate them, or force them out of town. That’s not the point.
I am a clinical social worker and have been providing services to unhoused adults diagnosed with mental illness and, in some cases, co-occurring disorders, for over 30 years. Many of them are unprotected. The Post’s editorial board and George F. Will failed to consider this issue comprehensively.
I have never been refused housing by someone who was homeless. A bed in a shelter is not a home. And many shelters are dirty, crowded, unsafe and rife with theft.
A one-bedroom apartment in my small rural community costs $1,000 per month. Supplemental Security Income (SSI), a low-income disability program administered by the Social Security Administration, pays up to $943 per month for individuals and $1,415 for couples. This amount not only keeps recipients below the federal poverty level, but it clearly does not pay for housing, much less other necessities. In large cities, costs are even higher.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s budget was cut during the Reagan administration and has not increased to keep pace with needs and housing costs. Mental health treatment resources are not funded to meet the needs, and substance use treatment resources are also lacking.
Part of the problem is the siled budgeting that occurs at all levels of government. Instead of focusing on encampment issues, why not address issues such as housing costs, access to treatment and other services, and SSI payment levels? This also seems like an example of blaming the victim. We can do better.
Yvonne M. Perrett, Cumberland, Maryland
