AAHOA Raises High Concerns about U.S. Supreme Court Ruling on Criminalization of Outdoor Sleeping

ATLANTA, GA, July 5—AAHOA (Asian American Hotel Owners Association), representing nearly 20,000 hotel owners across the United States, expresses significant concerns over the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the case of the City of Grants Pass, OR,  v. Johnson et al., which criminalized outdoor sleeping.

The Court upheld the Grants Pass case late last month, which involved Oregon's ban on camping for unhoused residents. The Court found the laws that criminalize sleeping in public spaces do not violate the Eighth Amendment's protections against cruel and unusual punishment, even as the city lacked sufficient shelters and the unhoused residents had nowhere else to go.

This decision has far-reaching implications for municipalities and businesses, including the hotel industry. The Supreme Court's ruling has raised critical issues related to public spaces, homelessness, and the responsibilities of local governments. AAHOA is concerned that such criminalization could lead to efforts such as seen in Los Angeles, CA, where city officials recently considered an ordinance that would have forced hotels to report vacant rooms by 2 p.m. daily so unhoused residents could use government vouchers to stay in them without providing any wrap-around services. This proposed LA ordinance would have placed an immense burden on the hotel industry, creating significant concerns for hotel workers and guests and threatening the local tourism and travel industry.

AAHOA's ongoing efforts to address these concerns for more than a year resulted in a new provision revising the former Los Angeles mandatory homeless voucher program into a voluntary opportunity.

"By criminalizing sleeping in public spaces, the unhoused population will be in desperate need of places to stay," said AAHOA Chairman Miraj S. Patel. "One of the easiest and quickest ways to find shelter will be via hotels. This places the hotel industry in a precarious position by providing shelter for people traditionally requiring wrap-around services, such as mental health support, job placement, and more."

Read the full press release