Last week'sU.S. Supreme Court decision will allow cities to criminalize behaviors associated with homelessness.
Why it matters: It's a point of contention in the metro, since Des Moines and Ankeny passed ordinances banning sleeping or storing items overnight in public spaces, according to the ACLU of Iowa.
State of play: The Supreme Court sided with a small, southern Oregon town in a 6-3 ruling, saying it has the authority to enforce ordinances that criminalize behaviors associated with being unhoused — like sleeping or camping on public property or parks — even when no shelter is available.
What they're saying: Polk County reached a record-level of homelessness this year, around 715 people as of Jan. 25, according to Polk County's homeless services planning organization, Homeward.
A lack of affordable housing and permanent supportive housing is contributing to the metro's growing homeless population, Amy Croll of Homeward tells Axios.
There are "always concerns" that cities could adopt policies that penalize being homeless, but Croll says it's an "ineffective" tactic to solving the root issue.
