Supreme Court Oral Arguments on Homeless Rights

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case involving the City of Grants Pass versus Johnson, which questioned the constitutional right of the homeless to sleep and camp in public. The case stemmed from a series of Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rulings dating back to 2018, based on the Eighth Amendment prohibiting cruel and unusual punishment. The Ninth Circuit maintained that cities couldn't criminalize sleeping outside when individuals lacked alternatives like shelter beds. Justices in the Supreme Court deliberated on whether homeless status was purely involuntary, considering scenarios where individuals preferred not to access available shelter beds due to personal reasons. Despite expectations for the Supreme Court to overturn the Ninth Circuit, determining a nationwide homelessness law seemed challenging during the oral arguments.