Washington cities can now penalize those sleeping outdoors, but will they?

The U.S.

Supreme Court's ruling in Grants Pass v.

Johnson allows local governments to outlaw outdoor sleeping even when shelter space is unavailable, overturning a previous 9th Circuit decision that deemed such punishments "cruel and unusual." While proponents argue the decision restores local control and provides necessary tools to manage encampments, housing advocates and several Washington lawmakers warn that criminalizing survival will exacerbate the homelessness crisis and fail to address its root causes.