Our conversation with Mike Jones had me thinking more about regulations around homelessness. The ultimate question that puzzles me is why are we trying so hard to get rid of the homeless? I think the first thing that comes to mind is the desire for cities to look clean and desirable to live in. Mike Jones told us about the divide in wealth of the Redlands community. The wealthier people that live in the hills come down to get groceries and see homeless people and are moved to correct the stigma that comes with it. This community of Redlands locals might call for laws to be set in place to criminalize the homeless and push them out of the city. This obviously doesn’t solve the problem of cost to tax payers, chronic homelessness, and affordable housing. So then what is the job of law enforcement, policy makers, and housing authorities to ensure all people in the community are satisfied living there?

I came across a blog post about “The Ten Most Ridiculous Anti-Homeless Laws” and though I would share some examples of absurdity with you. Number ten on the list is homeless meters on the street that provide a solution to panhandling by giving to an organization. This is an interesting way of addressing the problem of homelessness in certain cities and I wonder what the effectiveness of this method presents. Another more direct blow from anti-homeless laws are water sprinklers and bench removal, removing the pleasure of being comfortable outside. We have heard some of the other bans on sleeping, food sharing and panhandling and see them enforced in the local Redlands community.

How can we educate others about alternatives to these rights being taken away from the homeless? I think we can be involved in understanding our local laws as well as homeless services and be active in educating others. A step further would be to volunteer or work with agencies and promote affordable housing. I hope that more cities adopt Housing First models and strengthen their understanding about homelessness through organizations that are helping these populations.

http://nationalhomeless.org/WordPress/2011/07/the-10-most-ridiculous-anti-homeless-laws-part-ii/