PORTLAND, Ore. — The city of Grants Pass, Oregon, is under fire once again as Disability Rights Oregon has filed a lawsuit challenging the city’s camping regulations. This legal action arises following a significant U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year that permitted cities nationwide to impose bans on homeless camping.
The lawsuit, filed on Thursday, alleges that Grants Pass is violating state law by failing to maintain camping regulations that are “objectively reasonable.” The city’s response to the lawsuit is currently pending.
Last June, the Supreme Court’s decision thrust Grants Pass, a town with a population of about 40,000, into the national spotlight regarding homelessness policies. This ruling enabled cities across the country to enforce bans on outdoor sleeping, even in the absence of sufficient shelter options.
In the aftermath of the ruling, local officials in Grants Pass, emboldened by a newly elected mayor and City Council, intensified their efforts to address the homelessness crisis that has sparked community division. The Supreme Court’s decision overturned a previous ruling from a California appeals court, which had deemed similar camping bans as a violation of the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.
Currently, Grants Pass offers only one overnight shelter for adults, which imposes restrictive conditions that deter many from seeking refuge there. Recently, the City Council designated two city-owned properties as official camping areas for the town’s homeless population. However, the City Council has since closed the larger of these sites, which accommodated around 120 tents, and significantly limited access to the remaining site.
Disability Rights Oregon contends that these actions are intended to make life for the homeless increasingly unbearable, pushing them to leave the area. The lawsuit highlights the plight of five individuals with disabilities who are directly affected by these new regulations, asserting that the camping restrictions disproportionately impact those with physical disabilities.
The complaint emphasizes that the city has imposed unfair standards that require individuals to frequently relocate, thus exacerbating the challenges faced by people with disabilities.
Disability Rights Oregon is seeking a court order to prohibit the city from enforcing its current camping regulations, arguing that they violate state law and discriminate against vulnerable members of the community.
As homelessness remains a critical issue across the nation, exacerbated by rising housing costs, natural disasters, and migration trends, the outcome of this lawsuit could have significant implications for homeless policies in Grants Pass and beyond.
