Manchester mayor to propose ban on public homeless encampments

ISABEL. SO LAST WEEK, THE SUPREME COURT MADE A DECISION THAT ESSENTIALLY BANS PEOPLE FROM SLEEPING ON THE STREETS. THE MANCHESTER MAYOR WANTS TO PUT THAT INTO ACTION TO ADDRESS THE CITY’S HOMELESSNESS PROBLEM. BUT HE’S GETTING SOME PUSHBACK FROM LOCAL GROUPS. ON ANY GIVEN DAY, BETWEEN 250 AND 500 PEOPLE EXPERIENCE HOMELESSNESS IN MANCHESTER. BUT WHERE SHOULD THEY GO? MAYOR JAY BREWER SAYS THE STREETS ARE NOT AN OPTION. BASICALLY, IT ALLOWS FOR THE POLICE TO HAVE THE DISCRETION TO REMOVE ANYBODY THAT LOOKS AS THOUGH THEY’RE CAMPING NEW HAMPSHIRE LEGAL ASSISTANCE PARTNERED WITH THE ACLU TO SEND A LETTER URGING MANCHESTER LAWMAKERS TO REFRAIN FROM IMPOSING A BAN ON CAMPING IN PUBLIC PLACES. THIS CHANGE WOULD NOT PROVIDE ANY SOLUTIONS. IT WOULD JUST ESSENTIALLY MAKE IT EASIER TO CRIMINALIZE FOLKS AND AND WOULD BE PUNITIVE RATHER THAN, YOU KNOW, SUPPORTIVE AND SOLUTIONS BASED. OFFICIALS WITH THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS SAY HOMELESSNESS IS OFTEN TIED TO MENTAL ILLNESS, IS NOT GOING TO HELP. IT’S LIKE IT’S ADDING ONE MORE BARRIER, ONE MORE LAYER TO THE MANY STRESSES THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS ARE EXPERIENCING. THE POLICY ALSO JUST DOESN’T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT THERE MAY BE TIMES WHEN THERE JUST ISN’T ENOUGH SHELTER SPACE FOR UNHOUSED PEOPLE, LEAVING THEM WITH NO PLACE TO GO. THE LETTER ALLEGES THAT THE MAYOR HASN’T TAKEN STEPS TO ADDRESS UNDERLYING CAUSES OF HOMELESSNESS, BUT RUIZ SAYS OTHERWISE. WE’VE ROLLED OUT 11 DIFFERENT INITIATIVES TO ADDRESS THE UNDERLYING DRIVERS OF HOMELESSNESS TO ADDRESS THE HOUSING CRISIS THAT WE HAVE IN THE CITY. BUT ENFORCEMENT PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN THAT. THE MAYOR IS SET TO PRESENT HIS PLAN TO BAN ENCAMPMENTS AT A CITY COUNCIL MEETING TONIGHT,

Update: Manchester’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen has approved a change to city ordinances to ban camping on city streets and in parks at all times, and the ban took effect immediately.See our previous coverage below:The city of Manchester will soon consider an ordinance to prevent people from camping out on the street or in some parks.The proposal from Mayor Jay Ruais comes on the heels of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that gives local municipalities more power to stop public homeless encampments. Manchester's mayor is proposing a new ordinance that would ban people from camping on the streets. He called it a matter of public safety.>> Download the free WMUR app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play <<"We're going to ban camping in the city of Manchester," Ruais said. "Basically, we're going to allow police discretion to remove anybody that looks as though they're camping, planning to camp, or remove tarps if there are tarps that are set up along the sidewalks."The New Hampshire ACLU and New Hampshire Legal Assistance sent a letter to Ruais urging him not to criminalize public camping. They said the ban wouldn't address the root causes of homelessness and could exacerbate the problem. "This change wouldn't provide any solutions," said Dawn McKinney, policy director for NHLA. "It would just, essentially, make it easier to criminalize folks, and it would be punitive, rather than solutions-based.Officials with the National Alliance on Mental Illness said homelessness is often tied to mental illness, and punishment is not going to solve the problem."It's not going to help," said Bernie Seifert, deputy director of NAMI New Hampshire. "It's adding one more barrier, one more layer to the stress people who are homeless are experiencing."The organizations also said they were concerned that people could be taken off the streets even if there is no emergency shelter space available.Ruais said his proposal is one part of an overall strategy to address homelessness."We've rolled out 11 different initiatives to address the drivers of homelessness, to address the housing crisis that we have in this city, but enforcement plays a key role in that," he said.Ruais is planning to present the plan at Tuesday night's Board of Aldermen meeting. As part of his proposal, he's requesting that the city move $500,000 from the park ranger program to the police department.

MANCHESTER, N.H. —

Update: Manchester’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen has approved a change to city ordinances to ban camping on city streets and in parks at all times, and the ban took effect immediately.

See our previous coverage below:

The city of Manchester will soon consider an ordinance to prevent people from camping out on the street or in some parks.

The proposal from Mayor Jay Ruais comes on the heels of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that gives local municipalities more power to stop public homeless encampments.

Manchester's mayor is proposing a new ordinance that would ban people from camping on the streets. He called it a matter of public safety.

>> Download the free WMUR app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play <<

"We're going to ban camping in the city of Manchester," Ruais said. "Basically, we're going to allow police discretion to remove anybody that looks as though they're camping, planning to camp, or remove tarps if there are tarps that are set up along the sidewalks."

The New Hampshire ACLU and New Hampshire Legal Assistance sent a letter to Ruais urging him not to criminalize public camping. They said the ban wouldn't address the root causes of homelessness and could exacerbate the problem.

"This change wouldn't provide any solutions," said Dawn McKinney, policy director for NHLA. "It would just, essentially, make it easier to criminalize folks, and it would be punitive, rather than solutions-based.

Officials with the National Alliance on Mental Illness said homelessness is often tied to mental illness, and punishment is not going to solve the problem.

"It's not going to help," said Bernie Seifert, deputy director of NAMI New Hampshire. "It's adding one more barrier, one more layer to the stress people who are homeless are experiencing."

The organizations also said they were concerned that people could be taken off the streets even if there is no emergency shelter space available.

Ruais said his proposal is one part of an overall strategy to address homelessness.

"We've rolled out 11 different initiatives to address the drivers of homelessness, to address the housing crisis that we have in this city, but enforcement plays a key role in that," he said.

Ruais is planning to present the plan at Tuesday night's Board of Aldermen meeting. As part of his proposal, he's requesting that the city move $500,000 from the park ranger program to the police department.

Manchester mayor to propose ban on public homeless encampments

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