SALISBURY, Md.- Some homeless shelters and volunteers are speaking out on their concerns over a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision over the summer.
The Supreme Court overturned a lower court’s decision, which found that Oregon law which allows towns to ban those camping or sleeping on public property is unconstitutional, citing the 8th amendment prohibiting any ‘cruel or unusual punishment’.
However The Supreme Court verdict says the 8th amendment is not a plausible defense to dismantling the law.
Justice Gorsuch said, “Homelessness is complex. Its causes are many.”
Justice Gorsuch said judges do not have “special competence” to decide how towns should work through the issue of homelessness.
“The Constitution’s Eighth Amendment serves many important functions, but it does not authorize federal judges to wrest those rights and responsibilities from the American people and in their place dictate this Nation’s homelessness policy,” Justice Gorsuch wrote, on behalf of the majority.
Back here on Delmarva, some homeless shelters and volunteers are voicing concern over the decision, despite no municipalities in the region indicating it would begin this practice.
"If we criminalize this to take it a step further to put people in jail and given them fines you're taking that broken leg and beating it with a hammer um it's going the opposite direction of the solution of the problem and basically just exacerbating the situation," said Michael O’Rourke, who volunteers at a homeless shelter in Sussex County.
"You're not going to be able to stronghold your way out of this problem with courts and fines and things like that."
Anthony Dickerson, director of the Christian Shelter in Salisbury says despite no towns indicating it would begin the practice, the decision "causes great fear in homelessness".
Dickerson, and others like Halo Ministries Director Celeste Savage say more resources need to be funneled to help the homeless, not punish individuals.
"If this is the direction they are going, then there needs to be a lot more intentional work on finding a place for the homeless," said Savage.
To be clear, no municipality on Delmarva has indicated it would begin this practice, though this recent Supreme Court decision is sparking concern in our region, with pleas to local governments to utilize other solutions.