Gender-Based Violence Advocates Reject Scotus Ruling On Homelessness, Demand Protections For Survivors and The Homeless

SCOTUS made the cruel and heartless decision to criminalize homelessness in the case of City of Grants Pass, Ore. v. Johnson

WASHINGTON D.C.—The National Housing Law Project, Sexual Violence Law Center, the National Network to End Domestic Violence, Oregon Coalition Against Domestic & Sexual Violence, and Freedom Network USA released the following statement in response to the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruling in City of Grants Pass, Ore. v. Johnson that allowed states and localities to punish people for being homelessness:

“Today, the Supreme Court chose cruelty and made it easier to jail or fine people for sleeping outside. Homelessness is already at record highs, and now it will get even worse. Gender-based violence is a cause and consequence of homelessness, and this ruling will further trap people who are homeless, including survivors, in cycles of poverty and housing insecurity. Handcuffs and fines will not protect survivors and their families from violence, trauma, or their perpetrators.

“Now it’s up to state and local governments to choose violence or safety. We urge them to reject the callousness of the Supreme Court and address houseless people with care. We won’t stop fighting to ensure survivors and people who are homeless are centered in the policies that affect them. We’re committed to building a world where everyone has dignity, choice, and stability.”

Housing is extremely limited for gender-based violence survivors, often forcing them to make impossible and unfair decisions between sleeping outside or suffering continued violence. In April, the National Housing Law Project and Sexual Violence Law Center filed an amicus brief with SCOTUS signed by the National Network to End Domestic Violence and 74 national, state, territorial, and local domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking organizations urging it to support the rights of people who are homeless, including unhoused survivors, in City of Grants Pass, Ore. v. Johnson. The dissenting opinion, penned by Justice Sotomayor and joined by Justices Kagan and Jackson, cites the brief, recognizing that survivors become homeless due to circumstances outside of their control.