The high court’s ruling is already having a ripple effect on cities across the country, which have been emboldened to take harsher measures to clear out homeless camps that have grown in the aftermath of the pandemic.

Many US cities have been wrestling with how to combat the growing crisis. The issue has been at the heart of recent election cycles on the West Coast, where officials have poured record amounts of money into creating shelters and building affordable housing.

Leaders face mounting pressure as long-term solutions - from housing and shelters to voluntary treatment services and eviction help - take time.

“It’s not easy and it will take a time to put into place solutions that work, so there’s a little bit of political theatre going on here," Scout Katovich, an attorney who focuses on these issues for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), told the BBC.

"Politicians want to be able to say they’re doing something,”

    • Admiral Patrick
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      5 months ago

      It’s the BBC, so I’m giving the benefit of doubt that it was just written by a really out of touch human. The actual article is pretty good coverage and highlights why it’s such a terrible decision.

      The only thing in the article that even slightly implies “help” is this line:

      Jailing the homeless? ‘At least I’ll have a bed’

      So, headline seems to be intentionally click/rage bait even though the article itself is pretty sound.