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After SCOTUS decision, WA homeless camping bans may gain traction
The Court ruled that laws limiting public sleeping are not cruel and unusual, regardless of shelter, which advocates fear will lead to “dystopian” bans.
by Josh Cohen / June 28, 2024
On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Grants Pass, Oregon’s criminalization of sleeping in public, a decision that’s sure to have ripple effects in Washington state.
Though Seattle’s mayor says the new legal precedent won’t change the city’s approach to homeless encampments, there are several ongoing legal challenges to public camping bans elsewhere in the state that could be impacted by the high court’s ruling.
In a 6-3 decision split on ideological lines, the court ruled that an Oregon town’s ban on sleeping outdoors does not constitute cruel and unusual punishment, effectively sanctioning the criminalization of homelessness.
The ruling comes as the number of people experiencing homelessness has reached record highs in King County and across the United States and public homeless encampments have become a flashpoint political issue, especially in West Coast cities.