Statement by National NOW President Christian F. Nunes
WASHINGTON, DC— Christian F. Nunes, National President, National Organization for Women (NOW) issued the following statement in response to today’s oral arguments in the City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Johnson case in front of the U.S. Supreme Court:
“As I sat inside the Supreme Court and listened to the arguments in the Grants Pass case, I hope all of the Justices realized what we all know: being homeless deserves compassion and assistance, not city governments or powerful interests’ fearmongering, scapegoating, and pathway to prison. We all know that housing is a human right. That is why NOW, along with NWSN, filed an amicus brief in this case because we know the brunt of punitive ordinances that lower courts ruled amount to ‘cruel and unusual punishment.’
As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and mental health professional, I agree. Out of 580,000 homeless people in shelters and on streets, approximately 38 percent are women and girls. There is an incredible negative toll that housing insecurity takes on women and families who have nowhere else to go.
We must break the cycle of eviction, housing insecurity, and exposure to danger, starting with additional support for shelters and crisis centers for survivors. Housing agencies must prioritize – not stigmatize – because housing justice is gender justice.”
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