More than 650,000 people in this country have nowhere to sleep. Since the end of pandemic-era financial support, homelessness has been on the rise in nearly every demographic group across the United States. Nearly one third of people suffering from housing insecurity are adults and children in families, and thirteen percent are veterans.

A lawsuit by a group of homeless residents of a small Oregon town could reshape the way cities across the country deal with homelessness.

California officials have a strong interest in the case as the state grapples with some of the highest rates of homelessness and housing costs in the United States. Some hope that the court allows cities to ban homeless encampments while others hope it clarifies how they can regulate them.