The debate over the criminalization of public camping has reached the nation's highest court and local concerns are peaking as the Supreme Court considers a case that could impact laws across the country, including San Antonio's own public camping prohibitions. Local shelters are wary, with Haven for Hope's Senior Director Jessie Burdon voicing concerns, "What we see is now there is a fine attached to it where they are unable to get their ID as readily to work towards employment and towards housing," according to a statement obtained by FOX San Antonio.
Indeed, San Antonio shelters express that a nationwide ban could introduce more hurdles rather than provide relief for the homeless population. The critical lens of the Supreme Court's potential ruling shadows over past municipal efforts like San Antonio's ban on camping since 2005. Meanwhile, the San Antonio Police Department asserts that they will adapt to maintain compliance if the supreme court’s ruling affects the city’s tactics, as they told FOX San Antonio.
Advocates for the homeless took to the streets, protesting outside City Hall as the Supreme Court heard City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Johnson, a case that could redefine the legality of penalties for sleeping in public spaces. The lawsuit challenges if such sanctions against the homeless population can be considered "cruel and unusual punishment," and thereby unconstitutional, according to the San Antonio Report.
Observers like Greg Zlotnick, a supervising attorney at St. Mary's University School of Law, worry that an affirmative ruling may entrench punitive perspectives over rehabilitative ones, "and reinforce the [false] idea that people experiencing homelessness are inherently criminal," as he expressed in an interview with the San Antonio Report.
However, there is also a sense of operational stability suggested by the same expert suggesting that San Antonio's framework for addressing homelessness would likely persist regardless of the high court's decision. This perspective hinges on the city's policy approach, which has historically focused on providing accommodations and resources to help transition individuals from homelessness to stable living conditions.
Despite San Antonio's efforts with services like the Towne Twin Village community for chronically homeless older adults, it's clear the Supreme Court's upcoming decision could have far-reaching implications for the legal landscape shaping homeless aid and rights. Maria Torres, who once lived in encampments and now resides in an RV at Towne Twin, captured the human element of this legal debate, sharing her transformative experience with San Antonio Report, "Towne Twin changed my life, I never knew [I was] going to be on the streets of San Antonio Look at me. I’m here and I feel so happy."
