In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) is hosting a National Solidarity Week in support of individuals experiencing homelessness. The weeklong event, which began on August 3 and runs until August 10, offers a range of ways for housing advocates to get involved, including opportunities for highlighting the impact of the Grants Pass decision on social media, educating the public about the negative effects of criminalizing homelessness, and drawing attention to state and local ordinances that disproportionately impact unhoused individuals. Find out how you can participate in National Solidarity Week here.
In its Grants Pass decision, the Supreme Court ruled that cities may punish individuals for sleeping in public spaces, even if there are no other available shelter or housing options. Following the decision, elected officials across the country are now implementing harmful legislation targeting those experiencing homelessness. In July, California Governor Gavin Newsom ordered state officials to dismantle thousands of housing encampments. In a state where 180,000 individuals were reported as being homeless in 2023, with a majority of that population “unsheltered,” the order will have an immediate and devastating impact, exacerbated by the state’s severe affordable housing shortage, in which only 24 affordable and available rental units are available per 100 extremely low-income households.
California is not unique. Not one state in the U.S. has an adequate supply of affordable rental housing for the lowest-income renters. Nationally, there is a shortage of 7.3 million rental homes that are affordable and available to renters with extremely low incomes. All in all, only 34 affordable and available rental homes exist for every 100 extremely low-income households in the U.S. The lack of affordable housing options coupled with high rental rates cause put many extremely low-income renters at great risk of eviction and lead to higher rates of homelessness. As HUD has reported, more than 650,000 individuals were experiencing homelessness on any given night in 2023 – a 12% increase from 2022.
Criminalizing has particularly detrimental consequences, including trauma and negative impacts on physical and mental health, and the arrest records, fines, and fees resulting from criminalization can create significant barriers for homeless individuals to find or secure housing.
To counteract the effects of the Supreme Court’s decision, NCH will host the following events during the National Solidarity Week:
- August 5-6: National advocates will engage in X-storms (formerly “Twitter-storms”) using the hashtag #NCHSolidarityWeek to share facts and information, educating the public about the harms of criminalizing homelessness.
- August 7: NCH will launch a letter-writing campaign via X (formerly “Twitter”) and over email, urging participants to contact their local lawmakers and advocate for compassionate and humane solutions to support homeless people.
- August 8-10: NCH will share best practices for assisting homeless people as well as the stories of those directly affected by the Grants Pass verdict.
The National Coalition for the Homeless is a national network of individuals with lived experience working to end homelessness and ensure that the immediate needs of those experiencing homelessness are met.
Learn more about the City of Grants Pass v. Johnson decision here.
Learn more about NLIHC’s State and Local Innovation project’s work to combat the criminalization of homelessness here.