My family and I experienced the harsh reality of homelessness for nearly a year, from March 2022 until January 2023. We were fortunate enough to be somewhat sheltered during this period, unlike the unsheltered homeless individuals addressed in the case of City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Gloria Johnson. From our experience, we can attest that homelessness is not a choice; it's a circumstance often beyond one's control.

The case in question seeks to criminalize acts essential for survival among unsheltered homeless individuals - an unjust and inhumane approach towards addressing homelessness. According to National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty (NLCHP), over half a million people are experiencing homelessness on any given night in America; many have no access to public shelter.

The unavoidable effect of being homeless is that if you cannot find shelter, you are forced to be outside -- there is literally nowhere else for you to go. There is nowhere else for you to exist.

We urge The Supreme Court to vote against City of Grants Pass and their co-petitioners (including other Oregon cities and California), as it sets a dangerous precedent that further marginalizes our most vulnerable citizens instead of providing them with necessary support and resources.

Criminalizing survival is not the solution; we need comprehensive policies that address affordable housing shortages and provide adequate social services. 

If cities want to ban public camping, they MUST provide adequate shelter for their homeless. Simply legislating homeless people "out of sight, out of mind" will not get rid of them, but it will cause incalculable damage to an already vulnerable and dehumanized population.

Please sign this petition urging The Supreme Court to rule in favor of Gloria Johnson et al. and uphold the argument that "punishing homeless individuals for unavoidable consequences of their status violates the Eighth Amendment's ban on cruel and unusual punishment" as established in Martin v. City of Boise.

We need to send a very clear message to SCOTUS that ALL human life is valuable, and simply existing is NOT a crime. Do NOT allow our local governments to treat unhoused people like criminals – because being homeless is never a crime.

For more information, please visit The National Alliance to End Homelessness and for an overview of the case in layman's terms, read here.