Houston City Council Bans Public Encampments For the Homeless
The Houston City Council has approved an ordinance that bans the use of tents and cooking devices that can be a fire hazard in public areas.
Another ordinance on panhandling will prohibit people from blocking roadways or sidewalks.
Police officers could make arrests after giving warnings, citations and consulting with social workers.
Mayor Sylvester Turner says the goal isn’t to treat homeless people as criminals.
“The whole notion is to strike a balance between addressing their needs and their concerns and putting them in a better position in their lives and, at the same time, the neighborhood concerns in terms of people being in their doorway or blocking the sidewalk,” Turner emphasized during the customary press conference held after the Council’s meeting.
Read more: http://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/2017/04/12/196047/houston-city-council-bans-public-encampments-for-the-homeless/
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