August 14th, 2024

SOS Richmond's Response to Recent National and State Policies Affecting People Expereincing Homelessness

Author: Loris Mattox, Board Member

The Supreme Court ruling in the case of Grants Pass v. Martin has sparked widespread concern among advocates and organizations that serve people experiencing homelessness. The decision, which upholds the criminalization of unsheltered residents for sleeping in public spaces when no adequate shelter is available, effectively penalizes unhoused neighbors for circumstances beyond their control, exacerbating their marginalization in cycles of displacement that perpetuate poverty. It will have severe consequences for unhoused individuals, who already face numerous challenges, including lack of access to housing, healthcare, and employment opportunities.

The decision resulted in California Governor Newsom issuing an Executive Order that mandates state agencies and departments to adopt policies that will clear encampments on state property. It encourages local governments to do the same and threatens sanctions on these jurisdictions that fail to enact similar policies. The executive order poses significant threats to the well-being and safety of our most vulnerable populations, coercing and modeling for cities to enforce anti-camping bans without providing shelter, potentially posing a severe injustice to unsheltered residents and exacerbating the homelessness crisis nationwide.

The impacts on public health and safety are profound. Even in a city like Richmond, which will strive to deter its response to this directive, the state’s order will erode our basic level of care and our deference for even-handed approaches. Immediate responses from neighboring cities should inform us of the impending degradation of our standards. 

Criminalizing basic survival acts, such as sleeping in public spaces, not only strips unsheltered residents of their dignity but also exposes them to greater risks of harassment, violence, and incarceration. It underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive, humane approach to homelessness that prioritizes housing, support services, and community-based solutions over punitive measures.

SOS will continue serving our unhoused neighbors who were born and currently reside in Richmond and Contra Costa County, and by human right call this their home. SOS’s unhoused workforce provides leadership each day. In partnership with local public agencies and community-based essential service partners we uplift and expand our community of care through the peer accompaniment provided by competent agents for change. 

Draconian measures are never solutions. Empowering and dignified approaches are required. Learn about ways you can contribute to the mobile services and wellness centers convened by SOS, including in-kind and financial donations to support our brothers and sisters.