By Jayden Park
As levels of homelessness reach a record high, dialogue around camping bans has gained traction. Since the Grants Pass vs. Johnson Supreme Court case six months ago that made homeless crackdowns easier, more than a hundred cities have banned people from sleeping outside despite increasing rates of homelessness. The court ruled on a 6-3 decision that cities can ban people from sleeping and camping in public places, effectively overturning previous court decisions that claimed that encampment would be considered ‘cruel and unusual punishment’ under the Eighth Amendment. These bans are scattered throughout the country, including states like West Virginia, New Hampshire, and Wyoming, which have low homeless rates. However, most of the bans are concentrated in California, which is estimated to have around 186,000 homeless people (that number may be higher). These bans were primarily motivated by the belief that encampments would be a threat to public safety, and became more relevant due to President Trump’s recent statement that “the homeless have no right to turn every park and sidewalk into a place for them to squat and do drugs.”
The crackdown laws have faced major criticism for their inhumanity. Violators of the law would face fines of up to a thousand dollars and months in jail, making it even harder for them to find a job or housing after their sentence. Due to the strict nature of the decision, prohibiting camps regardless of whether alternative shelter was available or not, homeless individuals would be trapped in a cycle of repeatedly violating encampment laws, serving prison sentences, and reoffending due to having no other options. In Massachusetts, homeless individuals had “no place to go” because the laws made it harder for them to get off the streets.
Additionally, in an interview with Kevin Simon, the Director of outreach and communications at Mathewson Street United Methodist Church, it was revealed that law enforcement often threatened homeless people and raided encampments, causing significant trauma. Local governments may not have complete jurisdiction over law enforcement’s actions, which could lead to inconsistent enforcement and abuses of power.
References:
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Chan, T. (2024, December 5). People experiencing homelessness say they have nowhere to go in Massachusetts city after camping ban. CBS Boston. https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/lowell-eliot-church-homelessness-fine/
Iacovone, R., & Ludden, J. (2025, January 5). 100-plus cities in the U.S. banned homeless camping this year. But will it work? WPLN News. https://wpln.org/post/100-plus-cities-in-the-u-s-banned-homeless-camping-this-year-but-will-it-work/
Ludden, J. (2024, June 28). The Supreme Court says cities can punish people for sleeping in public places. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2024/06/28/nx-s1-4992010/supreme-court-homeless-punish-sleeping-encampments
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