During the recent session, the Kentucky General Assembly passed an anti-crime bill that bans the homeless from camping in public places.

Yesterday, as the US Supreme Court heard arguments about a similar Oregon law, housing advocates and four Kentucky cities held rallies to say homelessness should not be considered a crime.

Kentucky Edition's June Lefler has more from the rally in Louisville.

The Coalition for the Homeless estimates on any given night in Louisville, about 600 people sleep on the streets.

Andrew Johnson has been there.

I'd rather die than live back on the streets because I know how people disrespect you out on the streets.

If they spend hours, they walk over you.

They just treat you like a piece of dirt.

Kentucky elected officials said at a rally Monday the only solution to homelessness is affordable housing.

It's not a difficult solution and it's not new.

But what it needs to be successful is funding.

And what we do not have right now is the political will to invest in our communities and in our people.

Housing advocates gathered in response to a case before the US Supreme Court.

Johnson B Grants Pass.

The town of Grants Pass, Oregon, is defending its local street camping ban, which lower courts have ruled is cruel and unusual punishment under the U.S. Constitution.

How the court decides will likely impact laws in Kentucky, like House Bill five, the Kentucky General Assembly said statewide penalties for people setting up tents or sleeping in public spaces, including fines and eventually a Class B misdemeanor.

One of the main reasons why our governor vetoed House Bill five was because there is a principle that he and I believe in.

You're not a criminal because of your living situation.

If anything, we have an obligation to extend our hand, to invest resources, to promote and to pursue and realize healing, not to discard you and throw you away.

According to a local ordinance in Louisville, police officers can issued $200 fines to people sleeping in cars or camping in parks.

If you're out on the street, the likelihood of you being able to afford a fine or a ticket is less than likely.

But if you compiled too many tickets, then that means you have no choice and the police are forced to take you to jail because you have more income or you're unable to make your court date because you don't have a place to receive your court reminder messages.

Proponents of the street camping ban say homelessness is a blight that cities have to deal with and leaving people to live outdoors isn't some humane solution.

During testimony for House Bill, five, Republican lawmakers said these laws could lead people to addiction treatment.

Formerly addicted homeless people that I've talked to.

They said we need tough love.

We need somebody to force us into rehab because we're in the throes of addiction.

We don't want to go.

Opponents say some people might need treatment down the line, but the first thing everyone needs is housing and having to pay fines and going to jail doesn't help them when looking for a place to stay.

For Kentucky Edition, I'm June Leffler.

Thank you, June.

The US Supreme Court is expected to rule on that Oregon case.

Johnson versus Grants Pass sometime this summer.