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submitted 8 months ago by girlfreddy@lemmy.ca to c/news@lemmy.world

The scenes were emblematic of the crisis gripping the small, Oregon mountain town of Grants Pass, where a fierce fight over park space has become a battleground for a much larger, national debate on homelessness that has reached the U.S. Supreme Court.

The town’s case, set to be heard April 22, has broad implications for how not only Grants Pass, but communities nationwide address homelessness, including whether they can fine or jail people for camping in public. It has made the town of 40,000 the unlikely face of the nation’s homelessness crisis, and further fueled the debate over how to deal with it.

“I certainly wish this wasn’t what my town was known for,” Mayor Sara Bristol told The Associated Press last month. “It’s not the reason why I became mayor. And yet it has dominated every single thing that I’ve done for the last 3 1/2 years.”

Officials across the political spectrum — from Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in California, which has nearly 30% of the nation’s homeless population, to a group of 22 conservative-led states — have filed briefs in the case, saying lower court rulings have hamstrung their ability to deal with encampments.

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[-] werefreeatlast@lemmy.world 7 points 8 months ago

I was wondering if it would be legal to just run over rich people. You what I mean? Let's say you are driving to work and Elon musk is walking from the parking lot to the Starbucks. Could you just drive him over? What about a ticket? Can we give rich people a ticket? Sure it's not like driving over them, but it could work!

[-] RockyC@lemm.ee 6 points 8 months ago

Clearly, we need more space tourism.

[-] Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world 5 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

I can’t speak for Oregon, but here in California the problem is that we have a LOT of beds that are not being used. And cities and states can’t force people into shelter and care if the area doesn’t have enough beds for everyone that is unhoused.

The ask is to be able to shelter some people with the beds that are available. Right now CA is forced to wait until it could theoretically give every unhoused person a shelter bed at once.

[-] jkrtn@lemmy.ml 3 points 8 months ago

That's one of the stupidest things I've ever heard so I 100% believe the government would be stuck on exactly that.

[-] Kid_Thunder@kbin.social 2 points 8 months ago

Theft, overcrowding and assault are some reasons I've heard many homeless people say in CA as to the reason why they avoid shelters unless it becomes worse outside than inside.

[-] Melkath@kbin.social 2 points 8 months ago

Is that some sort of misguided antidiscrimination law?

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this post was submitted on 14 Apr 2024
322 points (99.1% liked)

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