DURHAM, N.C — The Supreme Court of the United States is weighing a case that could impact the homeless population.  

The issue at hand is whether people who sleep in public parks should be charged with a crime.

Last week, Spectrum News 1 joined with Housing for New Hope employees in Durham as they handed out supplies at a local encampment.

A homeless woman at one of the camps said the Supreme Court case was almost too difficult to think about.

“Making it criminal just to be homeless altogether and have camp, I’d be in jail. We’d all be in jail, and that’s scary to think about,” Stormie Tingle, who is homeless in Durham, said.

Tingle said she’d lived at the encampment for several months.

“I’ve liked living here as much as you can, being homeless and being in a camp,” Tingle said.

But what might be beneficial, in relative terms now, could soon turn bad.

“We think we have a lot of people in jail now, were gonna have a whole lot more,” Tingle said.

Tingle is talking about Monday’s Supreme Court case concerning the homelessness crisis.

The case could have far-reaching consequences for how cities address their homeless populations.

Homelessness increased 12% between 2022 and 2023, according to the latest numbers from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Now, the Supreme Court is hearing arguments from people living in Grants Pass, Oregon, which has a poverty population of over 15%.

This is a reality she’d rather not think about as she grapples with the prospect of possibly being jailed.

“Criminal to be homeless is, uh, you know, everybody to me is just one paycheck away from being exactly where I am. Let them not get that paycheck and find a job after that. What are they gonna do?” Tingle explained.

The Supreme Court hearing coincides with the highest reported level of homelessness ever. 

Last year’s point-in-time count, which follows the homeless population, found about 653,000 people were experiencing homelessness across the country.

That’s up about 70,000 people from the year before.  

The Supreme Court is expected to announce a final decision on this case in June.