WASHINGTON — Pony Morris of Louisville said for 15 years, he lived unhoused and knows the challenges thousands of Kentuckians are facing.

What You Need To Know

  • The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Monday about whether local laws that ban people from sleeping outside when shelter space is limited represent cruel and unusual punishment

  • Hundreds rallied outside the court 

  • Members of the group VOCAL KY traveled to Washington for the rally  

  • The court is expected to decide the case by early summer 

"They say, 'Well, go get a job,'" Morris said. "But here's the reality of it: Who wants to hire somebody that may have their whole life on their back? ... My clothes might be a little dirtier than yours. They don't understand that it's already hard enough out here in the streets.”

Morris and his partner now have a home of their own and a little girl, and he works as an organizer for VOCAL KY, which works alongside people directly affected by houselessness.

Members of the group were among hundreds who rallied Monday in Washington outside the U.S. Supreme Court.

Justices heard arguments about whether local laws that ban people from sleeping outside when shelter space is limited represent cruel and unusual punishment.

The case comes from an Oregon town that imposed fines for sleeping outside to address homeless encampments.

“Criminalizing people for being poor and not having a house to live in is not the answer,” said Jennifer Twyman, lead organizer for VOCAL KY. “We need to look at root causes and surround people with support services and housing and care instead of putting people in jail and filling up our system even more.”

VOCAL KY has been fighting the recently passed House Bill 5, dubbed the "Safer Kentucky Act," which Gov. Andy Beshear, D-Ky., and others have said criminalizes homelessness. It bans staying in an area not designated for sleeping or camping, among other things. 

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to decide the Oregon case by early summer.

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