Some cities facing homelessness crisis applaud Supreme Court decision, while others push back

Associated Press

SEATTLE (AP) — San Francisco’s mayor says the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court allowing cities to enforce bans on sleeping outside in public spaces will allow the city to begin clearing homeless encampments that have plagued the city. The Democratic mayor applauded the ruling Friday. But the ruling was not welcomed everywhere and some cities, such as Seattle, said their approach to encampments will not change. The case is the most significant on the issue to come before the high court in decades and comes as cities across the country have wrestled with the politically complicated issue of how to deal with homelessness and public frustration over related health and safety issues.