Advocacy groups for the homeless gather prior to the Supreme Court hearing in Johnson v. Grants Pass

Cedar Rapids, Iowa – In the next weeks, the Supreme Court will rule on whether or not it is permissible for local governments to punish or imprison homeless persons for living on the streets.

According to the government, there were 17% more homeless people last year than there were in 2022.

“All of it is really hard,” said Solo Brown. “It’s mostly finding somewhere to sleep.”

Brown claimed that over the past few years, he had moved around a lot. He works at Waypoint, a nonprofit organization in Cedar Rapids that provides housing help and other community services.

“I just started not too long ago,” he said. “I’m still trying to figure out some paperwork.”

There are limits on where homeless persons can camp in the cities of Dubuque and Cedar Rapids. According to Brown, he wouldn’t be able to buy it, and that would set off a vicious loop.

“You don’t pay them then you have warrants, and you go to jail, once you go to jail, now you have a record, once you have a record, it messes up being able to be free,” said Brown.

The Supreme Court would determine whether or not municipalities violated Brown’s and other homeless people’s 8th Amendment right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment by municipal regulations such to these.

“We know that ticketing and fining and arresting people outside when they don’t actually have other options not only doesn’t end their homelessness, but we also know that it makes it worse,” said Ann Oliva.

One of the advocacy groups convening before to the court’s ruling was the “National Alliance to End Homelessness.” It examined whether the 100 biggest US communities’ restrictive legislation had a positive or negative impact on the number of homeless people during the previous ten years.

“Their drop-in homeless rates were not significant after a couple of years,” said Dr. Hannah Lebovits, a researcher at the University of Texas.

Better resources, according to Brown, are the actual answer for those who are homeless and don’t want to sleep outside on a hot summer’s day.

“You need residential treatment facilities, you all need more alcohol abuse facilities, you all need more mental health facilities,” said Brown.