Homelessness is a growing issue across America and right here in the Tampa Bay Area. Now it is a focus of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Deep in the woods just outside of Winter Haven, are a cluster of tents and tarps. There are 46 people that live in this homeless encampment, including Brandy C. who has been there for five years.
“I just made a mistake and I've been stuck here since. I'm trying to fix it and I can’t,” said Brandy.
The 32-year-old said the homeless camp is not the safest environment, but it is somewhere she can lay her head at night, yet it could be taken away.
“They tell us, ‘y'all know y'all fixing to have to leave.’ We’re like, so where do we go?” said Brandy.
The Supreme Court is considering whether cities can ban unhoused people from sleeping outside and issue fines or arrest them for doing so.
It’s the most significant case dealing with homelessness before the high court in decades.
It comes amid a rise in homelessness in the U.S. and a growing number of encampments. People living in homeless camps say they shouldn’t be punished just for sleeping outside.
“What if they was in the same position? They don't think that way. The way I see it, as long as you’re sleeping somewhere and you’re not robbing the place and busting their windows, they should be left alone,” said Patty Gregory.
Supporters of the ban said encampments are unsafe and unsanitary.
Staff from Talbot House visit the village of homeless people every other week. They pass out water, food and toiletries. The Case Management Supervisor, Angelina Ligon said the Lakeland homeless shelter is over capacity.
“They have nowhere to go. As far as them having to leave the encampment, the question is where can they go from here? We have emergency shelter at our place where we’ve offered them to come to,” Ligon said.
Advocacy groups, like the Homeless Coalition of Polk County argue that public sleeping bans will criminalize homelessness and ultimately make the crisis worse.
“Housing instead of handcuffs. We need more affordable housing and we’re not going to win it by having our homeless individuals arrested or fined,” said Bridget Engleman, Executive Director of Homeless Coalition of Polk County.
The court is expected to decide the case by the end of June, meanwhile people experiencing homelessness can't help but feel discarded.
“We just don't matter? That hurts and it makes us feel like trash and we’re not,” said Brandy.
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