The small Oregon city of Grants Pass, long at the center of a heated national debate over homelessness, has struck a significant settlement with Disability Rights Oregon, a leading advocacy group. The agreement, announced August 15, 2025, comes after months of legal wrangling and follows a pivotal U.S. Supreme Court decision that reshaped how communities across the country can regulate public camping by people experiencing homelessness.
Disability Rights Oregon first filed suit against Grants Pass in January 2025, alleging that the city’s camping restrictions discriminated against people with disabilities and violated a state law requiring that such regulations be “objectively reasonable.” The group’s executive director and CEO, Jake Cornett, hailed the settlement as a milestone. “This settlement represents a significant step forward in ensuring people with disabilities experiencing homelessness have places to rest, basic necessities like drinking water, and real opportunity to stabilize their lives,” Cornett said in a statement, as reported by the Associated Press.
The terms of the settlement require Grants Pass to guarantee at least 150 camping spaces that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for the next 12 months. These sites must be physically accessible, provide drinking water and hand washing stations, and meet specific size requirements—each space measuring 8 feet by 8 feet, with three-foot buffers between them, in accordance with city code. The city will also provide $60,000 in grant funding to a nonprofit organization for homeless services, a move intended to help address the broader needs of the unhoused community.
Josephine County Circuit Court Judge Sarah McGlaughlin played a crucial role earlier this year when she issued a preliminary injunction in March 2025. The order blocked the city from enforcing its camping rules unless it increased capacity at city-approved sites and ensured those sites were accessible to people with disabilities. Judge McGlaughlin’s directive came after the new city administration, which took office in January 2025, shuttered the larger of two sanctioned camping sites—one that had previously accommodated roughly 120 tents. According to the complaint from Disability Rights Oregon, this closure left many without adequate shelter and forced some into crowded, inaccessible conditions, particularly due to loose gravel and other barriers.
Under the city’s ordinances, sleeping or leaving personal property overnight in most parks is prohibited, with violators subject to fines of up to $50. Following the Supreme Court’s June 2024 decision, which held that communities can ban sleeping outside and fine people for doing so—even when there aren’t enough shelter beds—Grants Pass updated its policy. Camping was banned on all city property except for locations specifically designated by the City Council. Three “designated resting locations” were established in the downtown area, near City Hall and the police station, where people can stay for up to four days before having to relocate. The four-day time limit can be waived if disability accommodations are necessary, according to city statements on Facebook.
Grants Pass Mayor Clint Scherf, in an email to the press, expressed satisfaction with the agreement. “The city appreciates having reached an agreement and will continue to work toward effective measures to benefit all members of our community,” Scherf wrote. The city signed off on the settlement earlier in August 2025, and has since begun implementing its provisions. On August 19, 2025, law enforcement was scheduled to begin notifying park occupants, giving them 72 hours to remove their belongings, as detailed in a city Facebook post.
The city, nestled along the Rogue River in southern Oregon and home to about 40,000 residents, has struggled for years with the challenges posed by homelessness. Its parks, in particular, became flashpoints, with encampments marred by drug use and litter. Grants Pass has become emblematic of the broader national struggle to balance public order, community safety, and the rights and needs of unhoused individuals.
The roots of the current crisis stretch back to last year’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling, which fundamentally altered the legal landscape for cities grappling with homelessness. The decision allowed municipalities to prohibit sleeping outdoors and fine violators, even in cases where there aren’t enough shelter beds available. This ruling was seen by some city officials across the country as a green light to enact stricter regulations, while advocates warned it could criminalize poverty and exacerbate hardships for the most vulnerable.
After the Supreme Court’s decision, Grants Pass acted swiftly, banning camping except at council-approved sites. But the city’s efforts to relocate hundreds of unhoused people from parks to these sanctioned sites were fraught with complications. When the new mayor and council took office in January 2025, they closed the larger of the two sites, citing concerns about crowding and poor conditions—though this move, according to Disability Rights Oregon, left many without any reasonable place to go. The city subsequently reopened a second, smaller site following the lawsuit, but Judge McGlaughlin’s order in March 2025 required capacity to be restored to pre-closure levels.
The situation in Grants Pass is not unique. Other cities, such as San Jose and San Rafael in California, have also experimented with sanctioned camping programs and “safe parking” initiatives for people living in vehicles. These efforts reflect a growing recognition that traditional shelter models may not meet the needs of all unhoused people, particularly those with disabilities or complex health conditions.
The broader context is grim: Homelessness increased by 18% nationwide in 2024, according to federal data, driven by a confluence of factors. A severe lack of affordable housing, devastating natural disasters, and an influx of migrants have all contributed to the surge. Cities like Grants Pass have found themselves on the front lines of a crisis with no easy solutions.
For now, the settlement in Grants Pass represents a rare moment of compromise and progress. By ensuring accessible, ADA-compliant camping spaces and providing basic necessities, the city and Disability Rights Oregon have established a new baseline for how communities might address the needs of their most vulnerable residents—even in the face of legal, political, and practical challenges. As the nation continues to grapple with the complexities of homelessness, the eyes of policymakers, advocates, and affected individuals alike will remain fixed on the evolving situation in Grants Pass.
