HSR Attorneys Joshua Piovia-Scott and Jordyn Bishop represented a group of homeless women and their children who had created a sober, safe community called the Housing and Dignity Village on a vacant, publicly owned lot in Oakland. The women sued the City of Oakland when it tried to destroy the community and HSR and co-counsel argued that the recent Ninth Circuit decision in Martin v. City of Boise, which held that the Eighth Amendment prohibits criminal penalties against homeless people for sleeping on public property if there is no shelter space available, should apply to this encampment. As a result of HSR’s efforts, the women were able to stay in the community for weeks after the threatened eviction and HSR was able to force the City of Oakland to provide housing for the group if it wants to clear the encampment.
MEDIA:
https://www.courthousenews.com/judge-gives-oakland-green-light-to-close-homeless-camp/
https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2018/11/28/oakland-homeless-encampments/
http://www.ktvu.com/news/court-uphold-s-city-of-oakland-s-procedures-for-homeless-encampments