Homeless, The Introduction

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The problem of homelessness in downtown Berkeley needs to be addressed in any plans for the city’s future. Currently, homelessness is making downtown Berkeley an area that many consider unsafe and unpleasant. Because homelessness impedes the rehabilitation of many urban areas, I did some research into what other cities have done to address the homeless problem.

Many cities are enacting stricter regulations on how homeless people panhandle and where they live. For example, in Orlando, Florida, anyone wishing to panhandle on the streets must wear a laminated panhandling permit issued by the police department. Also, panhandlers are restricted from certain areas such as bus depots, train stations, public parks, and sports arenas. They also cannot approach people at ATMs or in vehicles or come within three feet of the person solicited. They can’t use obscenities, follow people, or work in pairs. Panhandlers may not make false representations such as pretending to be disabled. Many other detailed guidelines and restrictions on panhandling are set forth in the article. Homeless people who panhandle without an official permit or who do not comply with the rules may be required to pay hefty fines of up to $500 or be arrested and spend up to 60 days in jail.

Also, New York City applies legal sanctions to homeless people who live on the streets. The homeless are forbidden from sleeping in public parks. The city also tickets “squeegee terrorists” or people who wash car windows without solicitation by the owner in hopes of receiving a handout.

Chicago recently erected giant chain-link fences around a downtown area to prevent vagrants from loitering there. In Cleveland, homeless people who sleep on sidewalks are subject to arrest. Closer to home in San Francisco, the homeless are forbidden from camping in parks or sleeping in doorways. Also, San Francisco has enacted a law that arrests people who give food to the homeless without a permit.

Proponents of measures to crack down on homelessness argue that the homeless are a public nuisance whose presence on the streets harms businesses, impedes the rehabilitation of dilapidated urban areas, and makes life unpleasant and even unsafe for other citizens. Furthermore, the new ordinances force homeless individuals to seek the assistance they need such as alcohol or drug treatment, mental health care, or employment services.

Advocates for the homeless, on the other hand, argue that such laws rob homeless people of their civil rights and their dignity. They argue that these laws are punishing people for being poor and are seeking to hide the homeless problem rather than end it.

Regardless of any individual views on homelessness, the numbers of homeless people are rising despite widespread prosperity. A 2000 study by the Urban Institute reports that as many as 3.5 million people are homeless compared to 1.8 million in 1987. The homeless problem is one that will be in the limelight for many years to come.