June 30, 2024
SacACT and its partners are profoundly disappointed by the Supreme Court’s decision in favor of the City of Grants Pass in the above matter. The Court held that local government ordinances with civil and criminal penalties for “camping on public land” do not constitute cruel and unusual punishment of homeless people. Falling in line with a disheartening pattern of recent years, the ruling will embolden local and state governments to move to criminalize poverty and dehumanize the most vulnerable members of our society.
Our organization is a coalition of Sacramento area faith groups, most of which provide direct services to our unhoused neighbors. Like the City of Grants Pass, our goal is that none of our neighbors should sleep on the streets. Unlike Grants Pass, our local governments and federally-funded agencies utilize federal, state and local funds to operate shelters and provide supportive services, and permanent supportive housing when necessary.
The concluding paragraph of the “Brief of Amici Curiae Kairos Center for Religions, Rights and Social Justice and Other Religious Organizations in Support of Respondents” summarizes our position:
“The universal bedrock beliefs of faith traditions have affirmed for centuries that punishing poor and homeless people for the effects of their poverty and homelessness fails to honor the holy nature of creation, and thereby fails society as a whole. The resilience of these interfaith religious principles over space and time demonstrates that “the evolving standards of decency” applicable to the punishment of the poor and unsheltered, who have nowhere else to go, are clear and urgent.”
Although the Supreme Court rejected the “cruel and unusual punishment” argument to restrain inappropriate actions by state and local government overreach, we have faith that here in Sacramento local governments will continue to pursue a compassionate approach. Advocates will continue to seek protection of our vulnerable neighbors’ safe space and, indeed, their very existence. SacACT will continue our work to influence our own local governments to operate from a place of compassion and to expand local efforts to end homelessness in our community. When everyone has a home, everyone in our community is better off – housed and unhoused alike.