Supervisor Mitchell’s Statement on Supreme Court’s Decision on Homeless Encampments

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Supervisor Holly Mitchell provided the following statement in regard to the ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of City of Grants Pass v. Johnson:

“This morning the Supreme Court ruling on Grants Pass unfortunately opens the door to penalize people who are unhoused. The ruling came on the same day that the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) reported a slight decrease in the number of people across the Los Angeles County. LA County is leading with what works – connection to housing and services.

“In less than 12 months, through LA County’s Pathway Home program 629 people have come into housing and 390 recreational vehicles have been removed from our streets. The all-hands on deck across County teams and alignment across jurisdictions is making an impact.”

“In addition to the Pathway Home program, LA County’s Homelessness Initiative in partnership with the LA County Board offices is enhancing the encampment clean-ups. This means shorter response time for clean-ups in unincorporated area communities. Penalizing and criminalizing people for falling into homelessness is not the solution.”

“The County and all our 88 cities must not be distracted and stay aligned on what works. Focused interventions of housing, wrap-around and mental health services, and clean-ups benefit all residents.”