How a small city in Oregon could shape the way major U.S. cities handle homelessness

The Supreme Court will hear arguments next month over city and state rules meant to limit homeless encampments.

GRANTS PASS, Ore. — For more than five years, Helen Cruz lived on the streets of Grants Pass.

A small, rural town of roughly 40,000 people, the city has now found itself at the center of a homeless crisis plaguing major cities across the U.S.

“We’re in this situation not because we want to be. We’re in this situation because we don’t have a choice right now,” Cruz, 49, said in an interview.

For years, Grants Pass has been embroiled in a contentious lawsuit with homeless residents like Cruz, who argue that anti-camping ordinances enacted by the city — including fines for sleeping in any park or public space — violate their constitutional rights.

Helen Cruz in Grant Pass, Ore.Dan Dvorak / NBC NewsThe legal battle has now gone all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which is scheduled to hear arguments in the case on April 22. The decision could affect how cities nationwide address homelessness in their communities. 

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/supreme-court/supreme-court-homelessness-grants-pass-rcna142977

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