FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 28, 2024

Contact: Michael Czaczkes, mczaczkes@vera.org,

Today, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the City of Grants Pass, Oregon, in the case of Grants Pass v. Johnson, effectively criminalizing people who are unhoused by overturning decisions by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which held that giving people citations for sleeping outside violated the Eighth Amendment ban on cruel and unusual punishment. Daniela Gilbert, director of the Redefining Public Safety initiative at the Vera Institute of Justice, issued the following statement:

“Today’s ruling reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of the issue of homelessness and how to solve it. Local governments’ overreliance on policing is an inherently reactive and ineffective approach to addressing homelessness. If we as a society are serious about reducing the number of people who are unhoused, we need to move past the criminalization of survival activities and focus on proven, effective solutions that will create stronger and safer communities. Instead of imposing criminal penalties on people experiencing homelessness, we need to increase civilian-staffed and community-centered responses, services, and infrastructure; ensure that the 21st century public safety workforce has the training and resources needed to connect people to care and support; commit to a Housing First approach; and rapidly invest in expanding affordable housing.”