January 26, 2009

Dear City Commissioners,

A vote by the Community Commission on Homelessness to revoke or alter ordinances regarding illegal camping (Illegal Camping 14-417 and Illegal Camping Ordinance Amendments 7893 and 79) failed at our January meeting.   

This vote occurred after two lengthy CCH meetings devoted to discussing the subject. City Parks and Recreation officials presented their views on camping ordinances, City funded homeless outreach workers were interviewed regarding their experiences. Members of the public spoke at both meetings and City staff collected information for our study regarding how other communities nationally and locally handle the issue.

No voice on our Commission speaks in favor of encouraging camping by homeless individuals. However, it is significant to note that those on the front lines of serving our homeless population, both Salvation Army shelter director Wes Dahlberg and Lawrence Community Shelter director Loring Henderson voted to drop or alter the ordinance. All of the homeless outreach workers expressed a desire to change the ordinance, as well.

Our nationwide lack of adequate mental health facilities and our community’s lack of adequate shelter render camping by some individuals a necessary “evil”. The truth is, say Dahlberg and Henderson, camping has always occurred and will likely continue to occur, even after adequate shelter is available. Outreach workers told us that enforcement of these ordinances only serves to scatter and further isolate already disturbed and isolated, many times severely mentally ill, individuals. This is especially true when our community simply has no where else to offer these individuals shelter.

 It is our understanding that the policy of the police department is to actively patrol and post 24-hour warnings to those who camp in the C-3 zoning district as well as the Central Business District. Beyond those areas, especially on publicly owned land in the wilderness areas along the river banks and secluded park land north of the Kaw, City-funded Homeless Outreach Workers continually work to seek out and monitor homeless individuals unwilling to access traditional shelters and services. Their charge is to engage and coax those often alienated individuals toward stability and access of services they need. In those areas, although some patrolling occurs by police, enforcement of illegal camping ordinances has been rare and when it occurs it is largely complaint driven.

Recently there seems to have been a rather vague policy of benign neglect of enforcement of these ordinances as written unless complaints arise regarding a specific site in areas beyond the Central Business District and frequently traveled parkland.  Parks and Rec  officials said that if the ordinances were removed  the City would have “do it right” to avoid liability problems, meaning installing toilets, providing for trash disposal and adequate policing and supervision. Our Commission members expressed an unwillingness to redirect scarce funds and energy from implementing elements of our accepted Housing Vision to fund such a campsite.

Certainly this issue, as well as the frigid temperatures and recent snowfall, highlight our community’s critical need to immediately move forward in bringing forth our vision for offering decent shelter to all the needy in our community. It’s a real and cruel irony that we are discussing enforcing and/or strengthening ordinances requiring individuals to seek indoor shelter when existing shelters are full.

Members of the CCH thank the City Commission for being engaged in issues of homelessness and working toward:

• Assisting the LCS to relocate to an appropriate site as soon as possible
• Publicizing and facilitating the LDCHA e-Housing Connection
• Supporting private sector initiatives such as Family Promise

Sincerely,

Katherine Dinsdale

Co-Chair

Community Commission on Homelessness