Albany, NY – In response to the Supreme Court’s decision which gives law enforcement the right to arrest homeless individuals, Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages, Chair of the New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus, released the following statement:

“The Supreme Court has once again overlooked our government’s responsibility to protect the best interests of all Americans. Housing and the lack thereof have been one of the most pertinent discussions for legislatures across the country. The fact that the highest court in the land is criminalizing homelessness as a quick fix for state governments to handle this crisis is absolutely absurd. This issue is going to impact communities of color more than any other group in America, as Black Americans make up for 13% of our country’s population, but 37% of our overall homeless population. The Asian American population also experienced a 64% increase in homelessness last year, while the Hispanic population saw an influx of nearly 40,000 homeless individuals, the largest increase of any demographic. This decision also comes as migrants continue to make their way into our country, who can now be legally remanded for sleeping on the sidewalk when homeless shelters are inevitably at capacity.

Addressing the crisis surrounding housing in this country will take time, and poorly devised solutions such as this decision are only creating new obstacles for policymakers to overcome in the fight against homelessness. This is a social issue firmly established in the systemic racism seen throughout our country's history. I was a proponent of the affordable housing initiative during this year’s legislative session, and I will continue to champion this issue that will not be solved by a misguided decision such as this. The Caucus shall continue to author policies to address this issue rather than haphazardly stripping the rights of our constituents away.”