Vets advocates push Supreme Court to dump laws punishing homelessness

Veterans advocates are warning that arguments presented to the Supreme Court on Monday regarding laws criminalizing homelessness could have a troubling impact on efforts to help former troops struggling to find stable housing.

The case — Johnson v. City of Grants Pass — centers on an Oregon town where officials approved regulations fining people $295 for sleeping outside in public areas, part of an effort to manage homeless encampments in the city’s parks. Offenders can face jail time for multiple violations.

Courts have generally ruled against the city laws, arguing that individuals cannot be punished simply for being homeless, particularly if adequate support services are not available. Supreme Court justices heard arguments from plaintiffs and defendants on Monday morning and are expected to deliver a final ruling later this summer.

The legal showdown comes just a few months after the Department of Housing and Urban Development announced a nationwide increase in homelessness among veterans from 2022 to 2023, the most recent data available.