City of Grants Pass v. Johnson
By Kendall Murphy, JD
Legal Advocate, Project HEAL (Health, Education, Advocacy, and Law)
Kennedy Krieger Institute
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In 2018, Debra Blake, who has since passed away, filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon, challenging an ordinance that limited the outdoor sleeping areas available to homeless people. The ordinance punished homeless people by not allowing individuals to sleep in public streets, alleyways or sidewalks. Although there was an allowance for homeless people to sleep in public parks, the ordinance prohibited individuals from using camping materials, bedding, or parked overnight vehicles for the purpose of maintaining a temporary place to live. Repeat violators would be banned from public parks for 30 days or face criminal trespass charges. The district court issued a permanent injunction which provided the relief that the anti-camping restrictions could only be enforced during the day and with a 24-hour warning from law enforcement.
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