Posted: July 21, 2006

Do no feed the homeless!

If being homeless is not bad enough, another U.S. city (Las Vegas) has legislated to make it "illegal to give food to homeless people in city parks" (as reported in Sydney Morning Herald, July 21, 2006).

The council says that homeless people gathering in parks to get aid from mobile soup kitchens "make it impossible for others to use them". The new law is targeting the mobile soup kitchens. The council claims this will force homeless people to seek help from charities that offer services "mental health evaluations or job placement."

But if there are not enough support services and not enough jobs then how can this policy be helpful. It would be better if the council gave the affected persons employment under a Job Guarantee scheme and employed them to keep the parks clean. And some housing policies which guarantee accommodation would also be a good accompaniment.

Blog entry posted by bill