The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday will take up the question of cities banning overnight camping ... and essentially making homelessness illegal.  

Supreme Court justices will hear an appeal of a Ninth Circuit decision that said an Oregon town could NOT ban sleeping on ALL city sidewalks.

Adam Murray is CEO of the Inner City Law Center here in Los Angeles ... he tells KNX News that the Ninth Circuit was NOT trying to tell cities they couldn't restrict homeless camps.

Murray says the Supreme Court ruling will determine how cities across the country work with their homeless populations.

He blames politicians for not addressing the root problems behind homeless.

The city of Los Angeles has taken a neutral position on the case, saying they don't want to criminalize homelessness but do want the flexibility to restrict the placement of encampments.