Judge blocks Grants Pass from enforcing its camping ban for two weeks
From today’s ruling from the lawsuit filed 1/30/25:
https://streetlightnews.org/judge-blocks-grants-pass-from-enforcing-its-camping-ban-for-two-weeks/
“According to the lawsuit, the campsites are inaccessible to people who use wheelchairs, canes or walkers, and the city’s requirement that people staying at the camp move each morning disproportionately affects people with disabilities.”
From Oct 3 email sent to Mayor Bristol and City Council warning of ADA compliant issues:
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/6387d767fc8a755e41aa5844/t/66fdb0e5a03fad0ef858cc6d/1727901925507/DRO+Letter+re+Grants+Pass+Notice_10.3.24.pdf
“In the most recent resolution, the city council designated two otherwise unused lots as appropriate for
camping and authorized people to live there for up to seven days. After seven days, the
campers are required to move. Since the two designated campsites are the only ones a person
could legally occupy, the only place for a person to go, as long as they have not found
permanent housing after seven days, is to the other campsite. In other words, current Grants
Pass policy contemplates homeless campers being forced to move from one camp to another,
every week, indefinitely, until someone finds permanent housing or leaves the city.
→ In my September 13 letter, I noted that numerous campers have disabilities that make these
routine moves effectively impossible and asked the city to grant reasonable accommodations
to them. I also asked to discuss these issues with you, contacting both of you by phone and
email numerous times without response. I appeared at a City Council meeting on September
18 and shared my letter with the City Council.”
It appears these issues were never addressed by the previous Mayor or City Council.