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When the Supreme Court ruled in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson that cities may enforce camping bans even when shelters are full, it shifted the ground under homelessness policy debates. Advocates warned that the decision would not solve root causes, only move people around. Within months, researchers counted roughly 150 cities in 32 states that passed or toughened anti-camping rules. Alongside ticketing and sweeps, a quieter strategy has expanded: city-funded one-way travel that critics bluntly call homeless deportation.
Grants Pass, Oregon, The Case That Opened The Door
Grants Pass itself had discussed “banishing” unhoused residents long before the Supreme Court’s decision, including buying one-way bus tickets or driving people to another jurisdiction and leaving them there. After prevailing at the Court, local leaders gained fresh authority to enforce camping bans across parks and sidewalks. Critics say that combination of stricter ordinances and past relocation tactics sends a clear message: visible homelessness is treated as something to export, not a crisis to solve where it appears.
San Francisco, California “Journey Home” Before Services
San Francisco has long used relocation programs, but an executive directive from former Mayor London Breed put new emphasis on tickets out of town. City workers clearing encampments were ordered to first offer relocation via the Journey Home program before any other services, effectively making exit the default opening move. Data show hundreds of people receive city-funded tickets each year, often framed as reunification with family. Supporters call it practical; opponents see a polished version of homeless dumping.
San Jose, California Homeward Bound Rebooted
San Jose has leaned into a new Homeward Bound program, budgeting about $200,000 for bus and plane tickets or help with utility bills for relatives taking someone in. Officials describe the relocations as voluntary and paired with verification that support awaits at the destination. Advocates still worry that, in a post-Grants Pass climate of encampment bans and political pressure, “voluntary” becomes blurry when the alternative is repeated sweeps, citations, or jail.
Oakland, California Sweeps Intensify After The Ruling
In Oakland, the Grants Pass decision has been widely read as a green light to press harder on visible encampments. Reporting from local housing advocates describes more aggressive camp clearances, a rollback of earlier cooperative approaches, and increasing use of enforcement tools that push people out of key corridors. Some residents are quietly steered toward relocation or neighboring jurisdictions rather than permanent housing. The net effect, critics argue, is regional churn: people are displaced repeatedly instead of stabilized.
New York City, New York Travel Assistance At Scale
New York City’s Travel Assistance Program predates Grants Pass but has expanded as shelter numbers and migrant arrivals strain budgets. In 2025 the city signed a new $250,000 contract with a travel agency to help relocate homeless residents from shelters to other parts of the United States, stressing that moves require a verified place to stay and consent. Officials highlight large cost savings compared with long-term shelter. Skeptics hear an uncomfortable echo of “Greyhound therapy,” where financial pressure makes leaving feel less like opportunity and more like expectation.