Thomas MacMillan Photo
Sarah Ferah, who’s homeless, sought city permission to camp this spring.
The Homeless Advisory Commission wants to make it perfectly clear: Long-term or permanent encampments of homeless people are not allowed in the city of New Haven.
The commission has submitted a resolution to that effect to the Board of Aldermen, despite the fact that homeless camps are already forbidden.
The resolution landed last week before the City Plan Commission, which voted unanimously to recommend that aldermen adopt it.
Homeless encampments have appeared in the past in the area near the West River, seen as either a “piece of heaven” or “befouled” crime magnets havens for trash and human waste.
Following the demise of Occupy New Haven, the protest village that held a spot on the Green for months until this spring, the question of long-term homeless camps arose briefly as a matter of debate. Mayor John DeStefano told a group of homeless Occupy-allied people in no uncertain terms that the city will not condone any long-term camps. The group had sought city permission to erect an encampment.
At the June 14 meeting of the Homeless Advisory Commission, however, members saw fit to revisit the issue. In a letter sent to the president of the Board of Aldermen the next day, commission chair John Huettner said that the body had voted to submit a resolution forbidding long-term homeless camps.
“The commission, after several discussions on the issue of permitting long-term or permanent outside tent environments on public or private lands for those who are homeless, strongly feel that providing this type of option does not advance efforts toward reducing or ending homelessness and does nothing to advance the well-being and betterment of those who are homeless or the welfare of our community,” the letter states. “Further, as all of us are members of society, a minimal adherence to some rules or frameworks is necessary for the health and ability of society to function.”
The City Plan Commission last Wednesday night recommended the proposal to the board unanimously and without discussion. The Board of Aldermen will take the matter up next.
Given the direction that this country's economy has gone, this resolution has about as much of a chance of being followed as the one to end the occupation of Iraq...