All posts by Sam Hozian

One year ago today, the Supreme Court decided to make homelessness worse. They ruled in the case of Johnson v. Grants Pass that people can be arrested and ticketed for sleeping outside, even when they have nowhere else to go. The effects of the Grants Pass case have been absolutely devastating for homeless communities across the country. In the past year, over 320 laws that make it a crime to be homeless have been introduced. 220+ have passed. These laws are cruel, a waste of taxpayer money, and have only made homelessness worse.

I want to tell you about what I saw yesterday outside the Deschutes National Forest. At 3:30 AM, under the cover of darkness, the Trump administration closed what we believe to be the largest homeless encampment on federal lands. Homeless Oregonians were kicked out of their communities with no place to go, under threat of 1 year in jail or $5,000 fines. People were scared, angry, and desperate for a safe place to live. It remains unclear if and how people will be allowed back in to collect their belongings, although logging trucks are able to enter the closed forest freely.  

On May 1st, the Trump administration’s US Forest Service is scheduled to evict upwards of 150 homeless people from the Deschutes National Forest. We need your help to get educated and take action to draw attention to, and hopefully stop, this harmful eviction.  Despite lawsuits and disability claims, the Trump administration has not relented on its cruel and backwards May 1st closure.

While the Trump administration attempts to sow division and chaos throughout the country, we are witnessing the power communities have when we come together to protect our unhoused neighbors. In the past month, organizers have stopped a billionaire-backed bill that would make homelessness worse in Iowa and slowed the implementation of a bill in Freemont, California that made it a crime to help people forced to live outside.

Last week, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents entered a homeless shelter in downtown San Diego, presented a valid warrant, and arrested one person. To our knowledge, this is the first time ICE agents have targeted a homeless services agency since the Trump administration reduced restrictions against entering protected areas such as houses of worship, hospitals, and homeless shelters.

While the Trump administration attempts to sow division and chaos throughout the country, we are witnessing the power communities have when we come together to protect our unhoused neighbors. In the past month, organizers have stopped a billionaire-backed bill that would make homelessness worse in Iowa and slowed the implementation of a bill in Freemont, California that made it a crime to help people forced to live outside.

Thank you to the nearly 2500 people who registered for last week’s webinar on fighting back against the Trump administration’s plans to make homelessness worse. To learn more about Trump’s plans to force homeless people into government run detention camps, see this Shelterforce article. We are inspired by the perseverance and determination of this movement to ensure everyone has the housing and support needed to thrive. Please see below for a recording of the webinar and the presentation slides.

Yesterday, six homeless New Yorkers filed a lawsuit against the City of New York and the Eric Adams administration to end the City’s inhumane and unlawful homeless sweeps. The lawsuit alleges that both the City’s sweeps policy and the practices that follow are unconstitutional and violate individuals’ civil rights. The plaintiffs are represented by the Urban Justice Center – Safety Net Project (UJC-SNP), the National Homelessness Law Center (NHLC), and Beldock Levine & Hoffman LLP.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Where We Go From Here: A Mass Organizing Call for Johnson v. Grants Pass. We’re grateful to this community of advocates for sharing your passion, comments, questions, and stories. Read more for a recording of the webinar.

In a profoundly disappointing ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court today shamefully ruled that people who are arrested or fined for sleeping outside are not included in the Constitution’s protections against cruel and unusual punishment. Let us be clear, this will make homelessness worse.