Photo by JM Suarez via Wikimedia Commons Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to review an appeals court decision that puts the criminalization of homelessness to the test. The case, Johnson v. City of Grants Pass, was the latest federal court ruling saying it is unconstitutional for communities to fine, ban, or imprison people for sleeping on public property when there are not adequate shelter options available. To do so violates the Eight Amendment’s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.
It is sad that we have to address this as such a serious problem in our cities. While I don't know the answer my city is dealing with violent and disrespectful attitudes from the homeless. We have given them housing only to end up with distruction of the free housing in more than half of the cases. They don't want to stay in a facility like our salvation army or churches unless the weather is bad, they do not like to follow rules. Nor do they want to work. They steal, beg and relieve themselves on the walls of our local business and destroy those same business when they want to sit in the restaurants all day and look at their free government phones and order only a drink. They learn to beat the sysem and help each other learn to do the same! Women getting free housing because their baby daddy doesn't work then they move them in so they can sell drugs or work for cash under the table so as to avoid paying taxes like the rest of us. Arresting them may not be the answer but giving them more free stuff won't change them into model citizens , it has only made things worse through the years. When you continue to take money from working people, eventually there are no more working people! The severity of our increasing homeless population proves that! If you want something to research, try looking into it!
It is sad that we have to address this as such a serious problem in our cities. While I don't know the answer my city is dealing with violent and disrespectful attitudes from the homeless. We have given them housing only to end up with distruction of the free housing in more than half of the cases. They don't want to stay in a facility like our salvation army or churches unless the weather is bad, they do not like to follow rules. Nor do they want to work. They steal, beg and relieve themselves on the walls of our local business and destroy those same business when they want to sit in the restaurants all day and look at their free government phones and order only a drink. They learn to beat the sysem and help each other learn to do the same! Women getting free housing because their baby daddy doesn't work then they move them in so they can sell drugs or work for cash under the table so as to avoid paying taxes like the rest of us. Arresting them may not be the answer but giving them more free stuff won't change them into model citizens , it has only made things worse through the years. When you continue to take money from working people, eventually there are no more working people! The severity of our increasing homeless population proves that! If you want something to research, try looking into it!
We started the plan for solving the homeless problem in "Lee'd The Way" which will continue in "MAKING IT!!!" and be finalized in "Angel City."