Following the Supreme Court’s June 28 ruling allowing cities to ban sleeping outside in public spaces, Catholic Charities USA president and CEO Kerry Alys Robinson issued this statement:
“The Catholic Church teaches that access to safe housing is a basic human right. Our country desperately needs to address a severe lack of affordable housing and related rising rates of homelessness. Criminalizing homelessness and imposing fines on people unable to pay them are neither practical nor humane solutions.
“In communities all around the nation, Catholic Charities agencies continue to develop innovative, effective programs to address the conditions that cause homelessness, holistically treat mental and behavioral health challenges, and increase local supplies of safe, affordable homes. We urge leaders at the federal, state and local levels, along with all people of good will, to join us in this effort to care for and uphold the human dignity of our brothers and sisters in need.”
