The Supreme Court on Dec. 17 refused to hear a major case from Boise, Idaho, on homelessness, challenging a lower court ruling that allows homeless people to sleep on sidewalks or in public parks if there is no other shelter space available.
The case was rejected after the Supreme Court on Monday found ordinances in Idaho’s capital violated the U.S. Constitution’s bar on cruel and unusual punishment. The ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals applies across several Western states where cities are struggling with homelessness brought on by rising housing costs and income inequality.
