Supreme Court refuses to hear challenge to ruling that allows homeless to sleep on sidewalks

The U.S. Supreme Court refused on Monday to hear a case from Boise, Idaho challenging a lower court ruling that permits homeless people to sleep on sidewalks and in public parks if there is not enough shelter space to house them.

The Supreme Court’s decision not to hear the case – which came without comment or a dissent – is a major win for homeless activists, but a blow to city officials across the west who argue that the ruling by a federal appeals court last year hinders their abilities to regulate homeless encampments on city sidewalks.