An Oregon judge recently made a significant ruling regarding a rural city’s enforcement of camping restrictions in light of a U.S. Supreme Court decision on homeless encampments.
Judge Sarah McGlaughlin of Josephine County Circuit Court issued a preliminary injunction, stating that the city of Grants Pass must enhance the capacity of approved camping locations and ensure their accessibility for individuals with disabilities.
If the city fails to comply with these conditions, the order bars the city from penalizing individuals for camping on public property. It also restricts the city from evicting individuals from campsites, clearing sites that are not definitively abandoned, or prohibiting camping in the majority of city parks.
The city may still enforce rules banning sleeping on sidewalks and streets or in alleys and doorways.
Vehicles drive down Rogue River Highway as light shines on the area on March 23, 2024, in Grants Pass, Oregon. (AP)
After the lawsuit was filed, the city reopened a second, smaller site and extended the time people could remain at the location to four days.
McGlaughin’s order states that the city must increase capacity to what it was before the larger site was closed.
Tom Stenson, deputy legal director for Disability Rights Oregon, praised the ruling.
“This is not a radical solution. The court is basically saying, ‘Go back to the amount of space and places for people who are homeless that you had just three months ago,'” he told The Associated Press.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
