American cities can now punish homeless people. Will it help or hurt the crisis?

“I’ve got 20 minutes before I have to leave,” Anthony shouted from the green tent on the Hollywood sidewalk as he heard footsteps approaching.

Los Angeles officials earlier warned him he could face arrest if he did not remove his belongings.

They told him about a recent Supreme Court opinion that opened the door for cities and states across the U.S. to punish anyone who sleeps outdoors — the most severe punishment for homeless people since at least the 1980s. Important ruling, many experts say the modern U.S. homeless crisis began in the 1980s.

Anthony said this adds to a long list of concerns he already has.

“I just want to live,” he told the BBC as he lay in his tent, using his blue backpack as a pillow.

Inside was a black trash bag filled with items he could take with him as he moved from one area to another.

“Some nights I can’t sleep,” he said. “I’ve been tired all day. I just want to lie down somewhere comfortable and have a good sleep. I won’t disturb anyone.”

After a while, Anthony packed up his tent and started looking for a new home.

The high court ruling is already having ripple effects on cities across the country, which are emboldened to take tougher measures to clean up homeless encampments that have grown in the wake of the pandemic.

Many U.S. cities have been grappling with how to respond to the growing crisis. The issue has been at the heart of recent election cycles on the West Coast, where officials have poured record amounts of money into building shelters and building affordable housing.

Leaders are under increasing pressure because long-term solutions — from housing and shelter to voluntary treatment services and eviction help — will take time.

“It’s not going to be easy, and it’s going to take a while to develop effective solutions, so there’s some political drama here,” said Scout Katovich, an ACLU attorney who focuses on these issues. “, told the BBC.

“Politicians want to be able to say they are doing something,”

The problem, Ms. Katovich and other advocates say, is that arresting or fining homeless people only makes the problem worse.

“This tactic just kicks the can down the road. Sure, you might clean up a street, but the people you arrest will definitely come back.

The high court’s ruling last week doesn’t mandate how cities and governments should deal with homelessness, but it gives communities leeway to take tougher measures without fear of legal recourse.

The case began in Grants Pass, Oregon, a small city with a population of about 40,000. The city has doubled in size over the past 20 years, but the supply of affordable and public housing has not kept pace. Home prices have soared and homelessness has increased.

Elected leaders passed laws allowing councils to fine homeless people $295 (£230) for sleeping or camping in public spaces, or impose 20 days in jail for repeat offenders. In 2018, three homeless people sued the city over their inability to pay multiple tickets.

The appeals court held that such laws effectively prohibited homelessness and constituted cruel and unusual punishment.

The Supreme Court ultimately ruled that cities expressly prohibit homeless people from sleeping in public places.

“A handful of federal judges cannot begin to match the collective wisdom possessed by the American people when deciding ‘how best to deal with pressing social problems like homelessness,'” Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in the majority opinion road.

Theane Evangelis argued the case before the Supreme Court on behalf of Grants Pass.

City officials are helpless because they can’t force anyone into shelters, she said. She believes those who refuse to use the services offered will end up staying in the camps.

“Living in tents is not a compassionate solution and it doesn’t treat people with dignity. So the Supreme Court’s decision is outstanding in the extent to which these cities were heard,” she said.

leader grants pass said they plan to study the Supreme Court opinion before deciding whether to enforce the encampment ban.

The ruling comes at a critical time for homelessness.

Last year, the number of homeless people tracked in the United States reached its highest level since the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development began tracking such data in 2007.

have 653,104 homeless people In 2023, the population was included as part of the agency’s annual homeless assessment.

The American Civil Liberties Union has been tracking the reaction to the decision from city leaders across the United States.

It has sent a letter to Manchester, New Hampshire, after the mayor pledged to ban camping to “make our streets safe, clean and passable.”

Other city leaders, such as the mayor of Lancaster, California, have pledged to “more aggressively” oppose encampments in neighborhoods and near stores.

“We’re going to move them very quickly,” Mayor R Rex Parris told the Los Angeles Times.

State lawmakers in Oregon also appear poised to consider changes to the law that would give them greater freedom to get rid of homeless encampments, local media reported.

exist Spokane, Washington, Leaders asked authorities to dismantle more camps.

But advocates say imposing fines on people who cannot afford housing will worsen their financial situation.

Experts told the BBC that arresting them could make it harder for them to find work or housing.

“There is substantial evidence that having outstanding summonses and warrants, let alone being incarcerated, prevents people from obtaining housing and employment elsewhere,” said Chris Herring, an assistant professor of sociology at the University of London. .

“This actually prevents people from getting shelter.”

Not all cities welcomed the court’s ruling.

In Los Angeles, the mayor called the ruling “disappointing” and vowed to continue investing in affordable housing, voluntary treatment and eviction protections.

Days after the comments were made, the city released its homeless count, showing a decrease for the first time in nearly six years.

Supporters say it’s a model other cities can learn from.

“Real change takes time,” Sasha Morozov, regional director of PATH, a leading homeless services provider in the Los Angeles area, told the BBC.

Still, Ms. Morozov noted, outreach teams in the greater Los Angeles area are still working to inform street residents about the Supreme Court ruling. The team is also preparing for increased demand for legal services.

Around the corner from Anthony, 28-year-old Topher Williams calls a makeshift tent on the sidewalk home.

Black and blue tarps were tied to tree branches and street parking poles. Plywood lines the edges of the structure, which he calls a three-bedroom apartment.

Mr Williams told the BBC he was a war veteran and had been living on the streets for four years. Unfortunately, medical bills and financial hardship caused by the pandemic have left him without a job or a place to live.

Like Anthony, he’s frustrated with the lack of empathy from city officials and law enforcement.

“The way people look at us is shocking. People treat us directly like animals. They don’t know,” he said, tears welling up in his eyes.

“I served in the military for eight years. I did two tours of duty. I made the ultimate sacrifice for this country and to be treated like a second-class citizen is crazy.

Asked if he was concerned about possible arrest, he said it was part of the lifestyle.

“We’ve got a lot to deal with. A lot of it is stressful. But I won’t worry about it until it starts to affect me.

Like Topher, Anthony said getting arrested might not be the worst outcome.

“At least I’ll have a bed and maybe I’ll be in the system and get proper help.”