Supreme Court Ruling: American Cities Can Arrest Homeless. How will This Effect Evansville, IN?

You know how sometimes you read a headline and think 'Hmm, I must have misread that' because it makes no sense? Well, that is what happened when I saw the Supreme Court make the decision that cities can arrest people sleeping on the streets because they have no place to live.

Is Being Homeless a Crime?

We work closely with so many organizations of caring people who try their hardest every day to ensure that our homeless population gets the services they need. Aurora Evansville has even conducted social experiments to shed light on how difficult it can be to start all over when you have no home.

Any one of us could fall on hard times, and need housing assistance. But if the shelters are full, are you committing a crime by sleeping outside?

Shelters Full = Jail?

With the Supreme Court's ruling, cities can now take someone to jail for sleeping outside or on public property. What happens if the jail is full? Oh, the homeless could also be ticketed and fined. How will they pay this fine if they can't afford housing?

I am no law expert, but the more I think about this, the more questions I have. Perhaps you have questions too.

Evansville, Indiana Mayor Stephanie Terry's Statement:

“Today’s ruling sets a dangerous precedent toward criminalizing homelessness by allowing cities to treat sleeping on the streets as a criminal matter. In Evansville, our goal is to help those who are most vulnerable – to offer the programs, services, and opportunities they need to improve their circumstances. Today’s Supreme Court ruling will not change that.”

I'm sure that we will hear more opinions on this, but I am relieved to know that our Mayor is in favor of helping those who need it, and putting more positivity into Evansville.

If you or someone you know needs housing assistance, food, or any other basic necessity to live, The Commission on Homelessness has links and phone numbers to our local resources.

Source:[Supreme Court Doc]

Get our free mobile app