The Elephant Isn’t Even in the Room

"Being homeless is not just about being deprived of a roof over your head;

it is about being deprived of a sense of belonging, a place within a community, full participation with a voice in society.” 

President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins September 24, 2014

On April 22, 2024, the Supreme Court heard statements and evidence as they considered the question of whether Grants Pass enforcing its laws regulating camping on public property as cruel and unusual punishment, as prohibited by the Eighth Amendment.

Grants Pass, Oregon was one of the cities impacted by the Ninth Circuit Court ruling that issuing fines and criminal charges against homeless people sleeping on the streets and in parks was unconstitutional because they literally have no other place to go. The city went through the appeals process because they claimed that they had no other way to combat the issue of homelessness. Instead of brainstorming and coming up with ways to actually combat the issue of homelessness, Grants Pass (along with many other municipalities) would prefer to use the police and justice system as a means to an end. Many have ordinances in place that leave nowhere for the homeless to lawfully go when all of the shelter beds are full. Our most vulnerable and underserved population is then subjected to fines they cannot pay, criminal records, and even jail time. All of these things can and will negatively impact their ability to actually get back on track. 

On June 28, 2024, the Supreme Court’s decision was announced: people experiencing homelessness can be arrested and fined for sleeping outside when there are no safe alternatives.

Examining the Issue

You see, homelessness in any community is the elephant in the room. Except it’s not even IN the room. It’s outside sleeping on a park bench and everyone can see it. It’s usually not pretty, so it makes folks uncomfortable. It might be mentally unstable, so it makes folks feel unsafe. Most would prefer to not have to deal with it, but the elephant has grown larger every year. Now, it can no longer be ignored. 

Hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S. are homeless. Every state is affected and each response is different. Even within a state, the responses vary from city to city. With no direction or even glimpse of a unified response to the issue coupled with the rising cost of living in most urban areas, an unlivable federal minimum wage, and many single income families - it’s no wonder. The number of homeless people in the U.S. grew by 12% in 2023 alone. There has been some success in helping our unsheltered friends; however, most municipalities claim to not have the funds nor the resources necessary to address this issue. And despite the hundreds, if not thousands, of nonprofits whose aim is to end homelessness, the issue persists. 

Why? 

Because at the very core, the system is broken. The homeless population feels unheard, misunderstood, shunned, and forgotten. Most people have no idea what it’s like to be homeless, nor do they fully comprehend the barriers that prevent homeless people from getting on their feet. Policy changes are certainly needed, but few advocates have the time and resources necessary to get their city, their state, or even the federal government to listen and act upon the need for such change. Like I mentioned before, this is a very large elephant. 

We as a community must work together now in order to stop the number of homeless from rising. Policy Reform, crisis intervention, education, adequate services that aim to rehabilitate, and affordable housing are all NEEDS. 

BBLRC are ready to fight for these things. Can we count you in to join us?