Homeless people across the country can now be penalized for sleeping outside, but the Supreme Court says it should be up to each local government. The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) voted 6-3 Friday morning that it is constitutional to ban people from sleeping outside. 27 News spoke with Topeka’s City Attorney Amanda Stanley about what this means for Topeka. “The ability to have every tool in our toolbox is what the Supreme Court gave us,” Stanley said. “I think that’s really helpful when you look at such a hard problem. No one solution is going to fix it.” Earlier this year, Topeka began its homeless abatement process. Current city ordinances claim it’s unlawful to camp near public infrastructure. So far, crews cleared more than 200 tons of trash along the Kansas River and other public areas. “You have to think about the community as a whole,” Stanley said. “Which is why you need to try to get people in housing, but also in neighborhoods, kids need to be able to walk down the street and not deal with feces or other issues.”
Source: KSNT 27 News
