New Hampshire homelessness advocates decry Supreme Court ruling

ABOUT áWHATá THIS RULING MEANS FOR THE CITY'S áHOMELESS POPULATION.. AND THERE ARE SOME DIFFERENT VIEWS HERE.. <ITS A SAD DAY REALLY FOR US. AND A SAD DAY FOR THE PEOPLE WE SERVE> THE SUPREME COURT... RULING INDIVIDUAL CITIES áCANá ENFORCE BANS ON PEOPLE SLEEPING .. OR CAMPING.. áOUTDOORS IN PUBLIC PLACES. THE SIX - THREE VOTE .. OVERTURNING A LOWER COURT RULING THAT CALLED THE BANS "CRUEL AND UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT". NOW - GROUPS FIGHTING HOMELESSNESS HERE IN THE GRANITE STATE SAY áTHEIR WORK TO FIND PERMANENT HOUSING FOR THOSE WITHOUT IT .. WON'T BE GETTING áANYá EASIER. <OFTENTIMES, THINGS LIKE TICKETS AND ARRESTS ARE BARRIERS FOR PEOPLE TO ACTUALLY BECOME HOUSED, SO ITS A CHALLENGE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO OVERCOME.> <IM ANGRY. IM SAD. ITS NOT RIGHT> HOMELESS áADVOCATE KELLY MCANDREW IS áSPEAKING OUTá AGAINST THE IDEA OF ARRESTING PEOPLE FOR SLEEPING OUTSIDE.. AND áINSTEAD CALLING ON MANCHESTER'S MAYOR TO OPEN A áLEGAL ENCAMPMENT. <THEY COULD HAVE HAVE OUTREACH, MEDICAL, FOOD , WHATEVER THEY NEEDED - AND THEN PEOPLE WONT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THEM BEING IN THE PARKS, THE BACK STEPS> MAYOR JAY RUAIS... TELLING NEWS NINE HE AGREES WITH THE HIGH COURT'S DECISION.. AND THAT HE'LL BE REQUESTING A CAMPING BAN TO THE BOARD OF MAYOR AND ALDERMEN AT THEIR NEXT MEETING.. BUT KELLY SAYS THOSE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS áDESERVE TO GET THE áHELPá THEY NEED.. <IF YOU TELL PPL THEY CAN'T SLEEP OUTSIDE THESE ARE PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, SUBSTANCE ABUSE DISORDERS, AND IF THEY CAN'T GET SOME SLEEP - THE PROBLEMS GONNA BE A WHOLE LOT WORSE. > AND THAT BOARD OF MAYOR AND ALDERMEN MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR NEXT TUESDAY AT SEVEN O CLOCK..AT MANCHEST

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday that cities can ban people from sleeping and camping in public places.Homelessness advocates in New Hampshire decried the 6-3 decision, which reverses an appeals court ruling that found an outdoor camping ban in an Oregon city to be unconstitutional."I'm angry, I'm sad, it's not right," said homeless advocate Kelly McAndrew. "They could have help, they could have outreach, medical, food, whatever they needed."Opponents of the city ordinance argued that a ban on sleeping outside in public amounts to cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment. >> Download the free WMUR app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play <<Writing for the majority, Justice Neil Gorsuch said that homelessness is a complex issue with many causes, and he argued that the question in this case was whether the Eighth Amendment grants federal judges the responsibility of determining those causes and figuring out how to limit them. He went on to write that it does not. Maria Devlin, president of Families in Transition, said the ruling will harm those experiencing homelessness in New Hampshire. "It's a sad day, really, for us, and a sad day for the people we serve," Devlin said. "Oftentimes, things like tickets and arrests are barriers for people to actually become housed, so it's a challenge we're going to have to overcome."Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais released a statement saying he plans to take advantage of the ruling and hopes to implement a similar ban."I will be requesting the board vote to strike Section (B) from City Ordinance 130.13 to ban camping and otherwise make our streets safe, clean and passable," he said.

MANCHESTER, N.H. —

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday that cities can ban people from sleeping and camping in public places.

Homelessness advocates in New Hampshire decried the 6-3 decision, which reverses an appeals court ruling that found an outdoor camping ban in an Oregon city to be unconstitutional.

"I'm angry, I'm sad, it's not right," said homeless advocate Kelly McAndrew. "They could have help, they could have outreach, medical, food, whatever they needed."

Opponents of the city ordinance argued that a ban on sleeping outside in public amounts to cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment.

>> Download the free WMUR app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play <<

Writing for the majority, Justice Neil Gorsuch said that homelessness is a complex issue with many causes, and he argued that the question in this case was whether the Eighth Amendment grants federal judges the responsibility of determining those causes and figuring out how to limit them.

He went on to write that it does not.

Maria Devlin, president of Families in Transition, said the ruling will harm those experiencing homelessness in New Hampshire.

"It's a sad day, really, for us, and a sad day for the people we serve," Devlin said. "Oftentimes, things like tickets and arrests are barriers for people to actually become housed, so it's a challenge we're going to have to overcome."

Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais released a statement saying he plans to take advantage of the ruling and hopes to implement a similar ban.

"I will be requesting the board vote to strike Section (B) from City Ordinance 130.13 to ban camping and otherwise make our streets safe, clean and passable," he said.

New Hampshire homelessness advocates decry Supreme Court ruling

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