Kirsten Barton, MPH’s Post

If SCOTUS rules in favor of Grants Pass, it will authorize cities and states to punish people forced to sleep outdoors with arrest and steep fines, even when they have no other safe option. This ruling would make homelessness worse and punish people for existing in public spaces. Research shows that criminalizing homelessness is ineffective, wastes taxpayer money, keeps people homeless for longer, and distracts from real solutions like housing and supportive services. SCOTUS ruling in favor of Grants Pass would indicate a preference for pretending that we can make homelessness invisible, instead of prioritizing safe, dignified housing for all. Stay informed at https://lnkd.in/e3U-MmiK #JohnsonVGrantsPass

Housing ends homelessness. Too many are forced to find shelter in public places with only a blanket and pillow. This isn't a choice—it's a harsh reality stemming from a nationwide shortage of safe, affordable housing.  The #SCOTUS case, Johnson v. Grants Pass, poses a crucial question: Do we address #homelessness with punishment or support? Visit johnsonvgrantspass.com to learn more.

Housing ends homelessness. Too many are forced to find shelter in public places with only a blanket and pillow. This isn't a choice—it's a harsh reality stemming from a nationwide shortage of safe, affordable housing. The upcoming #SCOTUS case, Johnson v. Grants Pass, poses a crucial question: Do we address #homelessness with punishment or support? Visit johnsonvgrantspass.com to learn more.

Housing ends homelessness. Too many are forced to find shelter in public places with only a blanket and pillow. This isn't a choice—it's a harsh reality stemming from a nationwide shortage of safe, affordable housing. The #SCOTUS case Johnson v. Grants Pass poses a crucial question: Do we address #homelessness with punishment or support? Visit here to learn more: johnsonvgrantspass.com #EndHomelessness #JohnsonVGrantsPass

Today, the Supreme Court will hear the most important case about homelessness in 40 years. Johnson v. Grants Pass will determine whether cities can punish people for things like sleeping outside with a pillow or blanket, even when there are no safe shelter options. Criminalizing homelessness is cruel, ineffective, and distracts from real solutions like housing and supportive services. Learn more about this landmark case at johnsonvgrantspass.com, follow National Homelessness Law Center, and check out National Network for Youth’s breakdown of how this ruling will affect youth experiencing homelessness!

TAKE ACTION: Tell state lawmakers to provide gap funding for homeless services From the Washington Low Income Housing Alliance State lawmakers took action last year to address a shortfall in the document recording fees that fund homelessness services across the state. The money the state collects from fees is still falling behind projections, and it is also more expensive to keep programs running. Almost $70 million dollars is needed in the supplemental budget to prevent a loss of services across the state. If the state doesn’t provide this funding, programs will close, reduce hours, and help fewer people. Too many people are living - and dying - on the streets, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Maintaining current investments in homelessness services must be a top priority for the supplemental budget! https://lnkd.in/gHgwrD5M

Is being homeless a crime? Should folks without a home, shelter, or resources be penalized and mired by more fines, legal fees, and taken away from their communities? Or is there another way; in which a just and loving society provides resources and a safety net for those on the margins? Other countries have figured it out through good policy, investment in affordable and supportive housing and mental/behavioral services--Finland, Ireland, Denmark, Japan, etc. Why is it so important? More than 600,000 people are homeless on any given night in the U.S. Nearly half sleep outside. Homelessness is increasing across the country as more and more hardworking households struggle to make ends meet due to stagnant wages and skyrocketing rent. All eyes on SCOTUS in the next few days as they hand down their decision on Johnson vs Grants Pass. 👀 “The true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members.” - Gandhi. FAQ on Johnson V. Grants Pass: https://lnkd.in/g2-D3UHg

I stand as ally with National Low Income Housing Coalition, National Homelessness Law Center, National Coalition for the Homeless, and National Alliance to End Homelessness, and all the individuals, commercial enterprises, groups and organizations to amplify the need for evidence-based, permanent solutions to end homelessness. Take a moment today to make your voice heard -- share this post if that's the most expedient way; however, even more helpful is to: Meet with your local, state, or federal elected officials to discuss the real (and by that I mean effective and sustainable) solutions to homelessness: Host a roundtable or other gathering where people with lived experience of homelessness can share their stories with elected officials; Amplify social media put out by National Homelessness Law Center (@homeless_law) on social media channels; Bring your elected officials on a site visit to supportive and affordable housing or other homelessness programs in your community; There are more things you can do -- if they haven't occurred to you, feel free to ask me. I'll point you in general directions. In the meantime -- since today is the start of the Supreme Court case -- you can learn more about Johnson vs Grants Pass here: https://lnkd.in/gsZHtNfU Sally forth!

No WAY eXp Broker Atty. Gross. I guess this is good for some of the homeless in L.A., but how do they select who gets to live here? How long do they get to stay, and what guarantees are in place to keep them from being homeless in the near future? #isthistherightmove #lendingahand #eradicatehomelessness #dobetterLA #DoTheRightThing #exp https://lnkd.in/gRG6rpnJ

Tomorrow, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in Johson v. Grants Pass. The case concerns whether Cities and Towns have the right to arrest unhoused people for sleeping outside, with a pillow or blanket, lying on cardboard, or in their cars between certain hours. Many of us expect SCOTUS to rule in favor of the City of Grants Pass - meaning that other local governments can arrest and criminalize people experiencing homelessness for shutting their eyes in public. Or, for sleeping with a pillow or blanket, even if they have no other option. This will be by far the most draconian response to homelessness and will, no doubt, have severe repercussions for unhoused individuals - many of whom are also families with kids forced to sleep in their cars. But elected officials, police departments, Mayors, and City Managers have a choice: they can choose to protect unhoused people from the threat of arrest for simply sleeping outside. While the solution to homelessness begins and ends with safe, affordable housing with support services for those who need them, we must support interim measures that offer a pathway to housing while protecting folks from arrest and criminalization. Those solutions aren't always seen as "politically desirable" by local elected officials. We must shape the political will to follow them until we have enough housing for all, until the housing-income gap shrinks to the point where no more people enter homelessness. For more information on this case you can read more here: https://lnkd.in/egCgf23f.