By Donald Whitehead | Executive Director
The National Coalition has devoted most of our resources to organizing around one of the most impactful decisions to impact people experiencing homelessness in 40 years. 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.
“The Supreme Court decision has set a dangerous precedent, allowing cities to continue to criminalize homelessness instead of addressing the root causes of the issue. People experiencing homelessness should not be punished for their circumstances; all levels of the government have a responsibility to protect the most vulnerable members of society.
Donald H. Whitehead, Jr., executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless states, “How a society treats its most vulnerable members reflects its values, priorities, and commitment to social justice. Criminalization has consequences. This decision will result in higher costs, more suffering, and death. The Supreme Court’s supreme injustice deeply saddens us.”
In Justice Sotomayor’s dissent, the justice states that the ruling “leaves the most vulnerable in our society with an impossible choice: Either stay awake or be arrested.” Further, Sotomayor says, “I remain hopeful that someday in the near future, this Court will play its role in safeguarding constitutional liberties for the most vulnerable among us. Because the Court today abdicates that role, I respectfully dissent.”
As the dissent states, the Court’s decision today ignores the need to protect people currently experiencing homelessness from harassment, violent attacks, or targeted enforcement of local ordinances.
Housing ends homelessness. The National Coalition for the Homeless, in partnership with the National Coalition for Housing Justice, calls on federal elected officials to invest significantly in housing now. For over 40 years, we have seen federal affordable housing programs decimated, and it is time to transform the trajectory of our housing policy.
As a down payment to ensure that everybody has safe, decent housing that they can afford, we call for:
The long-term investment in our communities and country requires recognizing that robust social housing will end homelessness.
Despite this Supreme Court ruling, we know that housing, not handcuffs, solves homelessness, and we will continue our work to ensure that everyone, regardless of race or background, has the housing they need to thrive.
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