A recent Supreme Court ruling that allows cities to implement stricter laws targeting outdoor camping will not alter Seattle’s official policies on homelessness, according to the mayor’s office. The decision, seen as one of the most significant legal rulings on homelessness, could potentially enable Seattle and other cities to adopt more stringent measures or expand existing regulations against public camping.
In a 6-3 decision on Friday, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Grants Pass, Oregon’s policies that criminalize sleeping outside, even when shelter space is unavailable. The ruling concluded that the city’s approach of ticketing and jailing individuals who violate the municipal code does not violate the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment.
Homelessness has long been a contentious issue in Seattle and King County, with Washington experiencing the sixth-highest homelessness rate among U.S. states last year. The rate of homelessness in the state has also outpaced the national average.
Mayor Bruce Harrell’s office, which has prioritized clearing encampments, released a statement affirming that the city’s approach to encampments revolves around providing shelter and services while ensuring that public spaces remain clean and accessible for everyone. They emphasized that the Supreme Court decision would not impact this approach.
City Attorney Ann Davison, who supported Grants Pass by drafting a brief, stated that the ruling recognizes the significance of local authority and underscores that addressing homelessness is a responsibility of locally elected leaders.
However, local homelessness advocates strongly criticized the Supreme Court’s decision, arguing that it effectively criminalizes poverty and being unsheltered. City Councilmember Tammy J. Morales expressed deep concern over the ruling and emphasized the need for improved tenant protections, eviction prevention, increased funding for human services, and the development of social housing.
While the Supreme Court ruling may have implications, ongoing court cases are expected to have a more significant impact at the local level. This includes the American Civil Liberties Union’s (ACLU) lawsuit against Seattle regarding the city’s homelessness policies, as well as the homelessness coalition’s lawsuit before the state Supreme Court challenging Burien’s ban on resting, lying down, or sleeping on public property between 7 pm and 6 am.
Alison Eisinger, the executive director of the Seattle/King County Coalition On Homelessness, highlighted that the Supreme Court’s decision might prompt further legal action from local homelessness advocacy groups. ACLU Washington has vowed to pursue legal strategies to protect homeless individuals under the state constitution, emphasizing that homelessness and poverty cannot be solved through punitive measures.