In recent years, Erie and the rest of the country has dealt with a homelessness problem, one that continues to grow. In some cities, police are fining people for sleeping outside.  The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Monday about whether those fines are legal. This all began with a small town in Oregon, who was dealing with a growing homeless population and didn't have enough shelters for people.

Kristan Breter knows what it's like to not have a home, "I'm homeless, I live in Erie Pennsylvania and I'm homeless and I'm trying to find a place." She lives on the streets and is afraid about the possibility of getting penalized for her current situation. "I'm homeless, so I deserve to know what it's like to be homeless, but he got help thanks to the Erie City Mission", said Breter.


Joseph Simms also knows what it's like to not have a roof over his head, but he got help at the Erie City Mission, "I was homeless before and I came here without a job and one of the things they did was help me find a place and actually stick and stay there and help me come up with a game plan to help stick financially straight."


Homeless is an issue that will not be solved overnight, which is why it's vital that there are resources and services to help those in need, like the Mercy Center for Women. Jennie Hagerty has a wait list of 50 women looking to get help from the Mercy Center for Women, but she doesn't know if this decision solves the bigger problem.


"We have 250,000 shelter homeless individuals that are facing homelessness because of mental health concerns, addiction or violence. The Supreme Court is coming to determine what their future looks like, these individuals what their future looks like, what they will or will not be penalized for is very concerning", said Hagerty.


Simms believes mental health is just as important as handling homelessness, "A lot of people who are homeless today have mental health issues and if you can't get help with homelessness, how are you supposed to get help for your mental health."


Hagerty is confident that providing support and resources will go further than having people pay a fine. "I think that's incredibly important that they are reunited with their children as opposed to again, banning them or charging them a fine. I believe Supreme Court is recommending somewhere between $250 and $1,200. I really don't know where homeless people would be able to find those resources to repay them", said Hagerty.

The Supreme Court won't be handing down a decision about imposing fines on the homeless until the of term this summer.