Late last month, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its opinion in the case of Grants Pass v. Johnson, which makes it easier for communities nationwide to fine, ticket or arrest people for camping or sleeping in public places even when there is no adequate shelter available.
The ruling doesn't force communities to take any specific actions or to actively engage in criminal punishment of unsheltered individuals but it could have ramifications on a nationwide level for how municipalities deal with their unhoused populations.
Large, long-term encampments are commonplace in states like California or Oregon, but Ohio could be impacted by this new ruling.
Thursday on the “Sound of Ideas,” we'll talk to folks who work with unhoused communities locally and statewide and discuss how this ruling could impact their work. We’ll also discuss the landscape for homelessness and housing stability in a broader context.
Later in the hour, we hear from the U.S. poet laureate, who's visiting Cuyahoga Valley National Park this week. She's in the park as part of her "You Are Here" poetry project, which has her reflecting on and writing poetry about several of the country's National Parks.
We close with another episode of our music podcast “Shuffle,” this week taking a look inside Northeast Ohio’s gospel music scene.
GUESTS:
- Chris Knestrick, Executive Director, Northeast Ohio Coalition For the Homeless
- Amy Reigel, Executive Director, Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio
- Lerryn Campbell, Executive Director, Homeless Charity and Village - Akron
- Ada Limon, U.S. Poet Laureate
- Kabir Bhatia, Senior Arts Producer, Ideastream Public Media
- Amanda Rabinowitz, Host and Producer, "Shuffle" and "All Things Considered"
