Unhoused Initiative founding member and affiliated faculty, Jamie Chang, PhD, recently contributed to an Amicus Brief filed with the U.S. Supreme Court in the upcoming Grants Pass v. Johnson case. The Brief is filed in support of Gloria Johnson and explains the harms of anti-homeless laws on people experiencing homelessness and on their ability to return to housing. It also argues the ineffectiveness of anti-homeless laws as they do not reduce homelessness, and that municipalities are not left without other options to address the homelessness crisis.
The case will examine whether a municipality can criminalize sleeping in public when alternate shelter is not available. The case could have major impacts on the criminalization of homelessness in the United States.
Arguments in the case will take place on April 22nd. The Unhoused Initiative is hosting a panel discussion on the case the week prior, April 16th, at Noon. You can find more information about and register for the event here.
Dr. Chang’s brief is available for viewing in the Articles & Research folder of the Unhoused Initiative’s Online Resource Bank.
The Unhoused Initiative at SCU 