Boise/Ada County Homeless Coalition
Statement about Grants Pass v. Johnson Decision
As a group of community members and agencies that serve those who are homeless or unstably housed, the Boise/Ada County Homeless Coalition regrets and is alarmed by the Supreme Court’s recent Grants Pass v. Johnson ruling that will allow fines, arrests, and wholesale removal of the unsheltered from their communities. While we agree that no one should have to sleep outdoors or without security, overwhelming data shows that criminalizing and persecuting the homeless DOES NOT SOLVE this crisis that is growing uncontrollably across our nation, one of the richest in the world. It only introduces additional barriers and expense to everyone’s goal of keeping people safely off the streets. This approach makes the situation worse.
Real solutions may appear more complex because we are forced to address the root cause of the problem rather than accept/insist on superficial answers. We know the proven solutions: they are the commonsense ones of having enough affordable housing stock, social program support, and accessible medical health resources. Real solutions provide a bridge for people who have experienced one trauma too many (a lost job, relationship, health, etc.) to renew their human journey, care for their families, and contribute to their communities.
Sleep is a biological necessity for all of us, housed or unhoused. For people who are without shelter options, that means sleeping on public property or in a vehicle with a few personal items to protect them from the weather—an “act” that communities can now deem illegal. The Supreme Court’s position allows cities and states to relegate homelessness to a law enforcement issue even when no shelter is available, to simply forbid people to be homeless, or to move them out of sight so they don’t impose on the lives of others. Clearly this is no solution. It changes nothing but the location of the problem; and with tickets and fines it increases an already impossible financial burden on people who are in crisis. More importantly, it doesn’t provide the foundation people need to reclaim their lives.
We need a broader and longer-term view and investment in our neighbors and our communities. We can and must do better. We must address the structural issues that have created this crisis, not jail those who are the victims of it. Let’s not divert the dollars and energy we could spend on real solutions to law enforcement and incarceration—a MUCH more expensive form of housing.
The Boise/Ada County Homeless Coalition recognizes that different service models can be effective depending on people’s needs. Both low-barrier and high-barrier programs require residents to behave in a safe and respectful manner. We believe that high-barrier shelters with additional requirements like sobriety, religious practice and separation of family members cannot effectively serve all homeless community members. Further, we do not see sobriety as the primary goal of homeless services. We do not believe people should have to earn a chance for housing assistance. Our goal is to see everyone housed, sober or not, with access to voluntary treatment and services that give them the choice to change their lives. We believe in human dignity… for our families, our veterans, our seniors, and everyone.
For this reason, as well as those stated above, an attempt to push people into shelters by criminalizing homelessness is not an approach the Homeless Coalition can endorse. What we do endorse are policies that help those living on the margins gain back their lives. Let us work together to make effective changes and policies that help rather than hurt. We are deeply grateful to every organization that assists our community’s unhoused, including all low-barrier and high-barrier programs. We are proud that the city of Boise is addressing the issue of homelessness under the principles established by the earlier Martin v. Boise decision without resorting to punitive measures. We urge all communities in Ada County and nationwide to avoid criminalization and dedicate their resources to solutions that work, including and especially housing that is affordable to low-income households. We believe everyone deserves a home. Period.