On Friday, the United States Supreme Court made it illegal to be homeless in the United States in the ruling on City of Grants Pass v. Johnson. We at Helping Veterans and Families Inc. (HVAF) of Indiana join our partners around the nation in expressing our disappointment that rather than focusing on solutions to end the housing crisis in our nation, this ruling will allow our neighbors, many of whom are veterans, to be punished for struggling to survive in our community.
HVAF was proud to stand with the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans and more than 40 other organizations to file an amicus brief in April to amplify the voices of veterans we serve. The brief explained that arresting and fining veterans for living unsheltered — even when there is not adequate shelter space available — is cruel and inhumane. Disrupting connections to service providers and adding criminal and civil penalties only makes finding permanent housing harder for those who need it most.
On a single night in January 2023, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) reported that 35,574 veterans experienced homelessness. This reflects a 7.4% increase from the previous year. Closer to home, the 2024 Point in Time Count identified 170 veterans experiencing homelessness in Indianapolis and last year, HVAF served nearly 1,350 veterans facing homelessness in Central Indiana.
Veterans experiencing homelessness should not be punished for being homeless. Those who served and sacrificed for our country should be treated with compassion and dignity. They should be engaged and encouraged until they are housed, not facing civil and criminal penalties that will make finding housing more difficult.
We need your help, now more than ever, to ensure that no hero is homeless on our streets. Veterans deserve better than this ruling, and they deserve the opportunity to find hope, housing and self-sufficiency. Find out more and join our mission at hvaf.org.
Emmy Hildebrand is CEO of Helping Veterans and Families Inc. of Indiana. Send comments to [email protected].
