WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Supreme Court will hear arguments today on whether ticketing homeless people is “cruel and unusual” and violates the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution.
City and state officials are closely watching the case — which will decide whether the homeless have the right to camp in public places — as many communities struggle to respond to a surge in encampments that have cropped up under bridges and in city parks across the nation.
Starting Aug. 23, 2023, homeless encampments in Bloomington’s city parks will be prohibited from remaining.
The city’s Board of Park Commissioners passed a resolution that bans the use of enclosed tents in parks.
That includes Seminary Park near the city’s downtown. It is ground zero for the city’s homeless population, with people openly doing drugs and tents scattered throughout the grounds.
“These camping structures and makeshift enclosures have become a serious public health risk and safety issue due to vandalism, illegal activity, the accumulation of abandoned property, and garbage,” Paula McDevitt, the administrator of the Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department, said.
The park commissioners unanimously passed Resolution 23-02, which says in part, “No person shall erect, occupy or otherwise utilize a tent, makeshift enclosed structure or other similar enclosure on any property under the authority of the Bloomington Department of Parks and Recreation.”
INDOT shut down homeless caps along I-65.
The argument is also being followed by people who live in those encampments and are alarmed by efforts to criminalize the population rather than build shelters and affordable housing.
This comes as the number of people experiencing homelessness increased by 12% from 2022 to 2023, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Information: CNN
