NLIHC, the National Alliance to End Homelessness (The Alliance), and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) hosted a webinar, “The Supreme Court and the Criminalization of Homelessness,” on April 9. The webinar was the first in a new series on advancing solutions to the homelessness crisis.
On the webinar, leading experts from the National Homelessness Law Center (NHLC), the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH), and the Housing Narrative Lab discussed the upcoming U.S. Supreme Court case City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Johnson, the most significant court case about the rights of people experiencing homelessness in decades.
Steve Berg, chief policy officer at The Alliance, moderated the webinar. He shared a short video from NHLC emphasizing the human impact of the Supreme Court case.
Jesse Rabinowitz, campaign and communications director at NHLC, provided an overview of the Supreme Court case, highlighted the importance of long-term solutions, and addressed how advocates can get involved.
Donald Whitehead, executive director of NCH, shared about events happening on April 22 – the day on which oral arguments will be heard. He discussed how his organization is engaging and centering people with lived experience and highlighted a new toolkit on local action organizing.
Brooke Schipporeit, NLIHC’s field manager, discussed how advocates can use this moment to advance real solutions to homelessness and housing instability. She encouraged attendees to use a new advocacy toolkit to plan an event during the week of April 22 in their local communities.
Marisol Bello, executive director of the Housing Narrative Lab, shared how advocates can discuss the Grants Pass v. Johnson case when speaking to those who are not as familiar with the causes of and solutions to homelessness. She discussed do’s and don’ts and shared the Housing Narrative Lab’s messaging guidance on the court case.
We have uploaded a recording of the call, as well as the presentation slides.
Resources Discussed on the Webinar:
- Learn more about the Supreme Court case: https://johnsonvgrantspass.com/
- Join national leaders, people with lived experience, and allies in Washington, DC on April 22 on the steps of the Supreme Court for a national event! Learn more about the rally and RSVP here: https://johnsonvgrantspass.com/rally
- Please reach out to NLIHC at [email protected] and National Coalition for the Homeless at [email protected] to let us know about events happening in your community for the Week of Action!
- Over 1,000 organizations and public leaders have filed more than 40 amicus briefs in support of Gloria Johnson and the rights of people experiencing homelessness.
- Grants Pass v. Johnson Social Media Toolkit
- Grants Pass v. Johnson Advocacy Toolkit: National Week of Action
- NHLC Video Clip
- NCH Local Action Organizing Skill Share
- Housing Narrative Lab: Messaging Guidance
- Housing GIFs and Memes
- Housing Not Handcuffs Campaign: State-level Homelessness Criminalization Efforts
- National Health Care for the Homeless Council Issue Brief: Impact of Encampment Sweeps on People Experiencing Homelessness
- Amicus brief submitted by 57 social scientists with published research on homelessness
Upcoming Webinar:
Register for the next Advancing Homelessness Solutions webinar taking place on Tuesday, May 21, from 2 to 3 pm ET.
Last year, more than 13,400 people participated in our monthly Homelessness and Housing First webinar series. Given the tremendous interest among stakeholders and the worsening homelessness and affordable housing crises, we decided to continue and expand the series to focus on the solutions to homelessness. On the webinars, we will share more about proven strategies to successfully end homelessness, best practices for state and local advocacy, and actions advocates can take to advance solutions.
Homelessness demands urgent action from all levels of government. We know what works to end homelessness: providing individuals with stable, accessible affordable housing and voluntary supportive services. We hope you will join us in building the political will and congressional support necessary to do so!