Libby Miller’s Post

This shows what can be done.

Just Because You Can, Doesn’t Mean You Should It’s important to note that this case may prevent certain lawsuits. Still, it doesn’t force communities to take specific actions or actively engage in criminal punishment of unsheltered people. Instead, it makes it easier for communities to do that. Elected officials who insist on going down that path will quickly learn that it won’t change the realities of homelessness. Criminal penalties such as fines, tickets, and arrests make homelessness worse and cost communities much money that should otherwise be spent on housing, supportive services, and street outreach. With record numbers of people entering into homelessness systems for the first time (more than 18,000 people per week in 2023, according to new U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD] System Performance Measure data), we must remind leaders that what solves homelessness is housing, together with supportive services needed to help people stabilize in housing. And these are investments that benefit the entire community, not just folks who are experiencing homelessness. https://lnkd.in/e8VuttDB

Just Because You Can, Doesn’t Mean You Should It’s important to note that this case may prevent certain lawsuits. Still, it doesn’t force communities to take specific actions or actively engage in criminal punishment of unsheltered people. Instead, it makes it easier for communities to do that. Elected officials who insist on going down that path will quickly learn that it won’t change the realities of homelessness. Criminal penalties such as fines, tickets, and arrests make homelessness worse and cost communities much money that should otherwise be spent on housing, supportive services, and street outreach. With record numbers of people entering into homelessness systems for the first time (more than 18,000 people per week in 2023, according to new U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD] System Performance Measure data), we must remind leaders that what solves homelessness is housing, together with supportive services needed to help people stabilize in housing. And these are investments that benefit the entire community, not just folks who are experiencing homelessness. https://lnkd.in/e9_FqX5B

I'm paying close attention to this. Criminalizing things poor people have to do does nothing but compound the problem. The resources of religious organizations, social services, government, and law enforcement end up being focused on cleaning up the mess left behind by bad policies and laws. These policies are quick fix attempts to punish victims of systems for political expediency and they have caused such significant damage to our social infrastructures that we no longer can support the programs that would prevent people from getting stuck in these cycles in the first place. The screaming demands of the life and death situations these policies create drown out the capacity of nonprofits to whisper well-placed words of redirection and transformative support.

The Supreme Court overturned the case of City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Johnson. The ruling makes it easier to fine, ticket, or arrest people for sleeping outdoors, even if elected officials have failed to produce sufficient shelter or housing for everyone in the community who needs it. In the wake of this decision, the Alliance continues to publish resources and guidance 👇 https://lnkd.in/grz9bDX6. Advocacy at the local level is important now more than ever, as local elected officials will have the most impact on how a locality responds to homelessness. We must ensure they know that tickets and arrests are costly and counterproductive, and that the most effective way to end a person’s homelessness is connecting them to permanent housing and supportive services. How you can help 👇 https://lnkd.in/g3gcDCBh #NAEH2024 #EndHomelessness #BeLikeMike #Prevention #Diversion #FlexFunding #SCOTUS #JohnsonVGrantsPass #HousingFirst #HousingIsHealthcare

Criminalizing homelessness doesn’t solve it, in fact ticketing and arresting people makes their situations a lot worse. Affordable housing and accessible, flexible services like Direct Cash Transfers are what we need to be investing in. Ahead of oral arguments on April 22 I want to be very clear that I stand with National Homelessness Law Center, National Alliance to End Homelessness and Community Solutions, Inc. Built for Zero communities. I work with communities who have ended homelessness for certain populations of people - they did this by coming together as a community, breaking down barriers, using their data to drive system level change, addressing their biases, and investing in services and housing with more equitable outcomes, not by arresting their way out of it. #housingnothandcuffs

Last week, three major Supreme Court rulings were made that will DEFINITELY impact you: 🏘 Through its Grant's Pass decision, justices said that anyone can be punished for sleeping outside. Regardless of if shelters are full or if housing is too expensive in your neighborhood. Or worse, if they just want to kick you out of a public place for existing. 🤑 In the Snyder decision, justices deemed that bribes were not against the law. Political corruption will be harder to penalize. Or worse, industry interests and those with money can now reward politicians for policy that favors them. 🏛 With the Chevron decision, the Court removed the power that federal agencies have over their own regulations. This means important cross-cutting issues like public health, the environment, and workplace safety should receive outside judgement. Or worse, private interests will continue to dominate what should be public decisions. These decisions are appalling, anti-people and anti-common sense. They will result in worse health and more homelessness. They will make Climate Change worse. They will make any of the work that you're doing in the broad social good space, harder. FwdSlash is going to keep fighting for solutions that are grounded in compassion for everyone. Personally, now that these rulings are made, I think we should start by *bribing some politicians* to set rent limits, implement eviction moratoria, and increase access to behavioral health and primary care services. Regardless, we'll work towards addressing the needs of the historically oppressed, displaced or marginalized, not making their lives harder. Read more about our commitment in our latest blog post.

The US Supreme Court has been very active lately. A new ruling allows US communities to ignore housing issues. Decades of bad US policy created extreme income inequality and horrendous housing. Meanwhile the rest of the westernized world spent decades building safety nets for families, seniors and those living with disabilities and mental health issues. Why can’t we figure this out? It’s embarrassing. “Criminal penalties such as fines, tickets, and arrests make homelessness worse, and cost communities a lot of money that should otherwise be spent on housing, supportive services, and street outreach. With record numbers of people entering into homelessness systems for the first time (more than 18,000 people per week in 2023, according to new U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development [HUD] System Performance Measure data) we must remind leaders that what solves homelessness is housing, together with supportive services needed to help people stabilize in housing. And these are investments that benefit the entire community, not just folks who are experiencing homelessness.” https://lnkd.in/gyqavitC

🎥 Hey LinkedIn community, today I want to shed light on a pressing issue that goes beyond punishment – homelessness. As Jesse Rabinowitz from the National Homelessness Law Center rightly puts it, "Homelessness is growing not because cities lack ways to punish people for being poor, but because a growing number of hard-working Americans are struggling to pay rent and make ends meet." I delve into a crucial case, Johnson v. Grants Pass, which questions the legality of punishing homeless individuals for sleeping outside when adequate shelter space is insufficient. Contrary to the belief that arresting or ticketing is a solution, Jesse emphasizes that addressing homelessness requires evidence-based approaches, like housing for all. Let's pause and reflect: How can humanity consider punishing someone life has already dealt a difficult hand to? In our pursuit of solutions, we must not forget the systemic causes of homelessness. People don't choose the streets; circumstances force them there. Join me in this exploration of compassion and understanding. Let's challenge preconceptions, advocate for humane solutions, and work towards a society where everyone has a chance for shelter and a better life. 💙🏠 #EndHomelessness #HumanityOverPunishment #CommunityCare #invisiblesnomore

I'm a strong believer in the value of shelter and transitional housing for folks and the role these services can play to support people as they start their journey along the housing continuum and further as they attempt to navigate a system that is in crisis and burdened with barriers. Historically, there has been a de-emphasis in funding for these types of initiatives, which has led to many services being trapped in cycles of under resourcing and pure survival and even more services that have been lost. Post that, we saw shelter and transitional housing underplayed and hidden as a dissuasion in Reaching Home dollars. But this funding announcement is a positive direction to securing the resources needed for shelter and transitional housing to allow these services and organizations to play a more robust and consistent role in helping the community solve the issue of homelessness and further properly show up for individuals in the ways they truly need us to. Further hoping the provincial government shifts its attitude and seizes this opportunity more robustly and remains open to understanding that the solution is beyond individuals, beyond just a job, and beyond just semi-affordable housing for the missing middle.