Homelessness

The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Friday to hear a case out of Southern Oregon that could make sweeping policy changes to the way cities address homelessness and enforce rules around public camping.

A program in Humboldt County to provide homeless people with a safe place to park their cars and sleep will be extended for two years.

On Tuesday, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek extended the state’s homelessness emergency that she enacted a year ago, following her inauguration. The extension will allow some new homeless shelters to remain open.

The repercussions from this case could have consequences for how cities can regulate homelessness.

The following are headlines from a few local news sites on a recent Sunday. In Ashland: “City Council to vote on camping ordinance, consider funding to extend emergency shelter operation.” In Medford: “Medford council worries about draining last federal dollars to help homeless people.” In Grants Pass: “Parents, superintendent want fence between school and homeless campers.” Besides all being about homelessness, there’s another similarity in these stories. None talked about the lack of housing in the Rogue Valley.

The City of Ashland tightened its homeless camping ordinances on Tuesday night. Council members were divided on the effectiveness of the new laws.

The Homeless Memorial Service honors homeless people who died in Shasta County in the past year.

The homeless service nonprofit Rogue Retreat recently turned to Facebook Marketplace to sell some of its rigid tents.

All but two California counties are delaying their implementation of a new law that makes it easier for a court to place someone in involuntary confinement if they can’t care for their own medical needs or personal safety.

In a statement of interest filed on Tuesday, the Department of Justice said the city's request to decide the case should be denied.

California’s population of homeless veterans has plateaued despite billions of dollars in state spending to create housing for former military service members. Now, Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to shift the state’s resources to focus on veterans with serious mental health conditions.

The City of Grants Pass has requested that the U.S. Supreme Court consider a case involving the city’s ordinances regulating homelessness. In 2020, a court in Medford ruled those ordinances were unconstitutional because of elements they considered cruel and unusual punishment.