Oregon lawmakers push Biden to address homelessness after Supreme Court ruling

Two of Oregon’s congressional leaders are pressing the White House to do more to reduce homelessness and expand affordable housing, following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last month that allows cities to criminalize unhoused people for camping on public property.

In a letter sent Friday, Sen. Ron Wyden and Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, both Democrats, joined with other members of Congress to warn President Biden that homelessness is growing at the same time as criminal penalties.

“Punishing unhoused individuals for sleeping outside when there are no adequate shelter or housing options does not solve homelessness or address its causes,” the letter states. “It is cruel and cynical to impose penalties on people who may be facing real, human challenges like unaffordable rent, financial emergencies, or health and mental health challenges.”

According to estimates from Multnomah County, the number of people experiencing homelessness has grown to more than 11,000.

The letter comes weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court’s conservative majority ruled in favor of the southern Oregon town of Grants Pass. The court’s decision found that Grants Pass’ policy penalizing people who sit or sleep on public property did not amount to cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment. The ruling overturned a 2018 decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that granted protections throughout much of the Western United States for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness.

The letter, drafted by Wyden and Bonamici, calls on Biden to declare unsheltered homelessness a public health priority. They additionally asked the president to order the General Services Administration to speed up efforts to convert underutilized federal buildings into shelter space or housing. The lawmakers also asked Biden to direct the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to grant waivers and guidance so that communities have more flexibility with federal housing vouchers.