Ethnic Media Services’ Post

A good article from Clare Pastore reviewing the #SupremeCourt ruling in #GrantsPassvJohnson--a horrific, disgusting decision that ignores both the facts and legal precedent. It's a terrible loss that makes legal challenges to the criminilazation of homelessness proliferating across the country that much harder. But the case has also spurred tremendous organizing, building the coalition for #HousingNotHandcuffs. Fighting criminalization is critical, but the human right to housing is the real goal--and building broad coalition is essential. Onward. #Housingisahumanright.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 today that anti-camping laws in Grants Pass, Oregon, do not qualify as “cruel and unusual punishment” prohibited by the Eighth Amendment, in what some have called the most significant case involving homelessness in decades. The decision guides how #cities nationwide can respond to record-high #homelessness and #encampments. Read more at Smart Cities Dive:

Wrong Move Gavin. It is always wrong to choose #spite, mean-heartedness, and #optics over #humanitarian aid. Even if it's legal. #homelessness #government #leadership https://lnkd.in/gJPpuvbk

🚨 ACTION ALERT: Take Action for Tenants at Risk of Eviction! The Senate Judiciary Committee will vote on SB 3680 tomorrow, March 5 @ 3:00 P.M. Many local governments have enacted so-called “crime-free housing and nuisance property” ordinances (#CFNOs) with the misguided belief that they are effective at fighting crime and keeping communities safer. In reality, CFNOs result in unfair penalties and evictions of tenants based on alleged criminal or nuisance activity, leading to instability and homelessness, which compromises public safety. CFNOs frequently exclude people of color from housing and endanger our community’s most vulnerable members, including survivors of domestic violence and people with disabilities, whose calls for emergency services or the police can lead to eviction rather than the assistance needed. These ordinances often violate fair housing and other civil rights laws. The Community Safety through Stable Homes Act, once implemented, will prevent discrimination, help people contact police without fear, and focus on better responses to crime while also keeping families in their homes. Click here to file a witness slip as a PROPONENT of SB 3680 today! https://bit.ly/SB3680YES #Illinois #housinglaw #advocacy #HousingIsAHumanRight #EndHomelessness

First people are losing their homes, even with a job many have to sleep in tents or cars on public ground, and then they are criminalised for having no other choice, according to a recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court from only 3 weeks ago. How cruel can a so-called democracy be, if the "demos", the people, are made criminals only because they do not possess (any more) what was taken away from them earlier? The UN-Charta protects Housing as being a Human Right. How does that fit? #SocialHousing #nametherealcriminals https://lnkd.in/d6tbagRJ

This is absolutely unconstitutional. The United States Supreme Court did an UPSTANDING JOB showing us all that they do not take our constitutional rights into factor when ruling on (literal) life and death situations. They violated the positive and the negative rights of our homeless community by criminalizing sleeping outside. Being the Supreme Court came to the decision that our homeless community may no longer sleep outside when they have NO PLACE ELSE TO GO. Part of positive and negative rights when it comes to housing that the #SupremeCourt #Violated is **negative rights infringed upon**that the government must refrain from cruel and unusual punishments (i.e., punishing people for sleeping outside or sheltering outdoors because of the LACK of adequate sheltering alternatives). Therefore, it has now become the government’s responsibility to provide an adequate amount of housing for all of the homeless community. This is something this community lacked before criminalization; there wasn’t enough sheltering options, leaving this population to sleep on the streets and not sheltered areas. **consequence of positive rights being infringed upon** #lessonsonrights #positiverights #negativerights #democracydoesnotexist #IDissent #CriminalizationIsNottheAnswer #DismantleTheSupremeCourt Tars, E. (2021). Housing as a human right. National Homeless Law Center.

Not exactly a lite Sunday topic! Paying penalties for violating a city ordinance, so long as it is not trambling your fundamental constitutional rights, is not a punishment. SCOTUS must overturn the 9Th Circuit ruling. Public parks and streets are NOT meant for encampment. Government failure to address homelessness should not be the reason the courts sanction encampment because this would be collateral punishment on the citizens of the community. Supreme Court to debate whether cities can punish people who are homeless https://lnkd.in/gTJshwM2

*FREE ARTICLE* A pivotal moment for homelessness policy: The U.S. Supreme Court reviews Oregon's anti-camping ordinance, with nationwide implications. Will the Eighth Amendment shape the future of public safety and homelessness management? https://ow.ly/Xa4U50RmnnJ #HomelessnessPolicy #LegalNews #SupremeCourt #EighthAmendment #PublicSafety

Check out my latest blog post on the demise of the controversial "alternative shelter" bill for evicting homeless encampments. British Columbia provincial and municipal governments, you can do better!

An excellent piece about the upcoming Supreme Court case, Johnson v. Grants Pass. Cities and states are asking the Court to overturn decades-old precedent that says it's unconsitutional to criminally punish people for sleeping outside when they have nowhere else to go. A crucial point to add is that protecting that right is not enough--it's critical to also protect the human right to housing. #JohnsonVGrantsPass #Housingnothancuffs #housingisahumanright