Affordable Housing Finance Magazine just published in its online edition an article that ranked Los Angeles as the city least friendly to the homeless. Here are the first two paragraphs of the article:
"Los Angeles is the meanest city in America when it comes to its treatment of the homeless, according to a new report by the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty and the National Coalition for the Homeless.
The ranking is based on several factors, including the number of laws targeted at the homeless, the enforcement of those laws, and the general public climate toward homeless people."
The article also talks about how many communities across the U.S. are getting tougher on homelessness, with "an 11 percent increase in laws prohibiting loitering in certain public places and a 7 percent hike in laws prohibiting "camping" in certain public places."
These statistics surprised me, but I'm wondering how many of you out there feel this is the right direction for communities. What are the alternatives to laws prohibiting loitering?
If you're interested, here's the URL for the article: www.housingfinance.com/news/ahf/072009-ahf-LA-Ranked-Meanest-to-the-Homeless.htm
About Me: Kristen Mahlis teaches in the Multicultural and Gender Studies Program at Chico State. She is writing a book on literature and the Haitian Revolution, and her scholarly work and teaching emphasize social justice.
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