BURLINGTON, Vt. — A federal judge has ruled that Vermont’s largest city can dismantle a homeless encampment in the woods where three men have been staying while their case proceeds through court.
The American Civil Liberties Union had filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of the men and Burlington’s homeless population, saying the city is violating their rights by threatening to close down the encampment without finding alternative housing.
The lawsuit came after the city removed a homeless encampment in another part of the city.
City officials counter the encampment is in an environmentally sensitive area.
U.S. District Court Judge Geoffrey Crawford said Friday that the men have other options.
He wrote that it’s clear the plaintiffs are “not being threatened with prosecution for being homeless” but “they are threatened with the consequences of remaining in a single location when there are options open to them,” ranging from seeking housing through social agencies to moving to another location on city property.
The case is not over. The decision means the city can remove the camp while the case proceeds. The city must respond to the ACLU complaint.
Copy the Story LinkSend questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.