Last night was nearly our ninth month up at the homeless meal service. It was somewhat difficult for me to be there. The new camping ordinance goes into effect on January 30th, and I honestly don't know what will happen to my homeless clients. In some ways, I feel like a giant failure. I have spent years advocating for them, helping them, looking out for them...and I wasn't able to convince city council that this ordinance would harm their population. We will be uptown this Sunday for as many hours as we need to be, helping them and warning them.
The ordinance makes sleeping in public spaces illegal. Obviously, it was created in response to Occupy Charlotte protests/camping but no one realizes yet that it gives the CMPD entirely too much power to harass my homeless clients. This measure also goes against their eight amendment right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment. Shelters are over capacity...my clients have no where to go.
If they are prohibited from resting in public spaces, then they will be pushed out of the city and away from the resources that they need. I am almost tempted to do a social experiment and dress up as a homeless person and sit on a bench with a blanket and see if I am forced to leave. Hmmm...I may be onto something here...
