Fighting to Help Homeless – Not Criminalize Them

3/6/2018 (Permalink)

The pending lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) against the City of Albuquerque has halted the implementation of the new Pedestrian Safety Ordinance (PSO).  This ordinance was passed by the city council on November 6^th, 2017. 

The ACLU held private conversations with the city where they persuaded them not to begin implementation of the PSO until the litigation has been resolved.

The PSO makes it illegal for “physical interactions or exchange with a pedestrian” at specific locations, such as street medians and highway entrances.  This makes it illegal for both parties to engage in interactions; prohibiting people from giving food, money, and health products to those in need. 

The ACLU banded together to sue the City of Albuquerque, claiming this ordinance criminalizes free speech in public areas, siting the broad language of the ordinance.  The areas cited in the document are commonly used for political speech and protests, in addition to homeless men and women looking for aid.

Back in 2015 New Mexico was at the heart of a positive new program that continues to combat homelessness by assisting these individuals instead of criminalizing them.  This has been the objective of the “There’s a Better Way” initiative (see: http://bit.ly/2D5N8Qk).  Cities around the United States have looked toward Albuquerque’s initiative when creating their own policies in combating homelessness. 

Instead of trying to criminalize and incarcerate homeless people, “There’s a Better Way” seeks to assist the homeless by giving them shelter, food, and helping them find work. 

In 2016 The University of New Mexico’s Institute for Social Research followed Albuquerque’s Heading Home initiative (AKA “There’s a Better Way” program) and reported that for every dollar invested into this initiative, taxpayers saved $1.78.

Other reports indicate similar savings when addressing the problem of homelessness by attempting to assist them instead of trying to punish them.  Central Florida’s Commission on Homelessness researched their region and discovered “the annual cost of leaving people homeless – the costs of policing them, throwing them in jail for largely non-violent offenses, and providing medical care – were three times as expensive as providing them with permanent housing and caseworkers.”

It’s becoming more and more prevalent that instituting programs to assist the homeless works better not only from a humanistic standpoint, but also from an economical one. 

Still the practice of housing first programs has largely been swept under the rug from a political standpoint. This may be in part because of the prevalent, negative stigma surrounding communities of homelessness.

Eliminating this negative stigma is no easy task.  It starts by not initiating more backwards thinking programs like the Pedestrian Safety Ordinance, but instead; implementing programs of positive change in mentality and action, like the “There’s a Better Way” program.

As we are seeing with the PSO, lazy, backwards thinking lawmaking can begin to imperil the basic rights of communities like Albuquerque. These lawmakers may be trying to solve a serious problem, but the negative stigma given to the homeless perpetuates the lack of critical thinking in solving the problem of homelessness.  As long as our laws continue to push the stigma that homeless people are criminals, true progress and change cannot be accomplished on a massive enough scale for it to begin to truly make a dent in this nationwide problem. 

Luckily there is a strong if not small contingent of people, like those in the American Civil Liberties Union and the Heading Home foundation, who continue to fight for a more holistic solution.  Change of this nature is often sparked by a close knit group of people working for a better tomorrow, a tomorrow for all.

Works cited: https://shadowproof.com/2018/03/05/albuquerque-wont-enforce-draconian-anti-panhandling-ordinance-aclu-lawsuit-pending/