HOW DOES THE CONSERVATIVE PROMISE EFFECT OUR MISSON?

The manuscript titled "Mandate for Leadership, The Conservative Promise" by Kevin

Roberts, PhD, has caused a lot of controversy on social media. There has been a lot of misinformation circulating regarding what this policy could mean. Have no fear! We're here to clear some of that up as it pertains to the fate of our unhoused brothers and sisters.

To begin, there has been a lot of murmur about homelessness now being illegal in the United States. There has been even more chatter about the mandate becoming more aggressive if Project ’25 comes to fruition. We are not here to argue political stances, but instead provide the facts.

The Eighth Amendment prohibits punishing homelessness by criminalizing sleeping outside when an individual has nowhere else to go. It is cruel and unusual to apply any penalty "selectively to minorities whose numbers are few, who are outcasts of society, and who are unpopular, but whom society is willing to see suffer though it would not countenance general application of the same penalty across the board." Furman v. Georgia, 408 U. S. 238, 245 (1972)

Grants Pass, Oregon, is home to roughly 38,000 people, about 600 of whom are estimated to experience homelessness on a given day. Like many local governments across the Nation, Grants Pass has public-camping laws that restrict encampments on public property. Initial violations can trigger a fine, while multiple violations can result in imprisonment. Applying Martin’s reasoning (Martin v Boise), the district court found everyone without shelter in Grants Pass was “involuntarily homeless” because the city’s total homeless population outnumbered its “practically available” shelter beds.

The supreme court argued this matter in regards to unhoused individuals in Grants Pass, Oregon on April 22, 2024 and on June 28, 2024 decided the following:

·      The city ordinance is not a violation of the eighth amendment

·      Limited fines and a short imprisonment do not constitute cruel and unusual punishments. - The Court cannot say that the punishments Grants Pass imposes here qualify as cruel and unusual. The city imposes only limited fines for first-time offenders, an order temporarily barring an individual from camping in a public park for repeat offenders, and a maximum sentence of 30 days in jail for those who later violate an order.

The court’s opinion is that many cities believe that rather than help alleviate the homelessness crisis, Martin injunctions have inadvertently contributed to it. The U.S. Supreme Court has not issued a ruling specifically stating that homelessness must be dealt with on a state-by-state basis. However, the issue of homelessness and how it is addressed has largely been left to state and local governments due to the nature of federalism in the United States. This means that while the federal government provides funding and some policy guidance, the primary responsibility for addressing homelessness falls to states and municipalities.

To continue, Project 2025 plans to implement reforms to:

·      Reduce implicit anti-marriage bias in housing assistance programs

·      Strengthen work and work readiness requirements

·      Enforce maximum term limits for PBRA and TBRA

·      End housing first policies

It also strives to enact legislation that:

·      Protects life

·      Eliminates provisions in federal housing and welfare benefits

Overall, this plans approach to aiding homelessness is to prioritize mental health and substance abuse citizens over providing permanent intervention to the masses. The conservatives view homelessness as a choice and as a direct response of having no sense of shame and little work ethic. Under this proposed policy, government funding will not be given to any organization that provides permanent intervention to those experiencing homelessness; especially in the case where the organization discourages work, marriage, and paths to economic mobility.

What does this mean?

The HUD would be required to implement changes that end all housing-first initiatives. This will directly affect organizations where the HUD grant funds are issued, as well as the continuum of care grant recipients, and contracted homelessness providers. The HUD would be required to put restrictions on grant distribution based on the conservative effectiveness of the program.

First Real Chance Corp. is a 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit organization dedicated to rehabilitating and reintegrating our members into society. We are confident that, even if this proposed policy is implemented, we will continue to fulfill our mission without disruption.

Reference:

City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, No. 23-175 (U.S. Aug. 11, 2024). https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/23pdf/23-175_19m2.pdf

Project 2025. (2023). Mandate for leadership: The conservative promise. The Heritage Foundation. https://static.project2025.org/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf