Homeless advocates oppose law

Two women intimate with the lives of homeless people in Shelton oppose a proposed city law to criminalize camping on city right of ways.

Barb Weza, executive director of Community Lifeline in downtown Shelton, and Wendy Petty, the executive director of Crazy Love Ministries in downtown Shelton, both wrote letters to the Shelton City Council saying struggling homeless people will only suffer more from the proposed ordinance, which received preliminary approval with a 5-2 vote at the council's Oct. 19 meeting.

"The language in this proposed ordinance discriminates, targets, criminalizes and re-criminalizes people who are homeless," Weza said. "Nothing less than a modern-day debtor's prison."

"I personally don't think penalizing the homeless will motivate them whatsoever," wrote Petty, who read her letter aloud at the Oct. 19 meeting. "The majority of them are so broken down already they will probably care less. What they need are more places to go during the night hours."

The council can make the law official with a vote at its meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Public comments are welcomed during the Zoom meeting, streaming live on MasonWebTV.

The proposed ordinance would make it a misdemeanor to stay overnight in a tent, hut, lean-to or other temporary shelter or structure on city land "which is reserved for any public purpose, including city-owned rights-of-way, parks, public facilities, easements, critical areas and buffers."

The crime would be a misdemeanor, and punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Under the proposed ordinance, personal property associated with the camping on pubic property can be removed by the city. The proposed ordinance states "materials that are toxic, dangerous, or obviously refuse may be disposed of immediately." Other personal property would be stored for 60 days following notice of the owner, to be picked up.

Under the proposed ordinance, a number of conditions must be followed before anyone could be cited for public camping.

A city employee must first make contact with the violator and advise them of the prohibition on public camping. If the violator then does not remove their camp, or erects a camp on a different city site, the city employer informs the violator of available indoor shelter. If the violator is not allowed inside the shelter due to their criminal record or sex offender status, they can be cited.

In her letter, Weza wrote that she agrees with trespassing ordinances for camping in public parks and places, although the "description needs more clarification - leaves a lot of latitude.

"As a citizen of the City of Shelton, taxpayer, homeowner, business director and community member, I feel a better use of public money would be to focus on trespassing ordinances and enforcement, drug laws and education, mental health options for all citizens. Trauma informed education, providing housing options instead of further marginalizing our most vulnerable populations. Are there criminal acts being committed by people who are homeless? Of course there are. And criminal acts are law enforcement's responsibility however re-criminalizing someone for choosing not to be indoors is not OK."

Weza concluded, "We have taken a lot of criticism over the years because we have always welcomed everyone as long as it is feasibly safe (violence, drug dealing, predatory behaviors). We are also an access point to coordinated entry for housing and other services and provide a comprehensive and vulnerability assessment to assess needs. All of our services are pathways to housing."

Formed in 2017, the nonprofit Crazy Love Ministries and its 35 volunteers provide food and other services six days a week in downtown Shelton.

"Crazy Love does not support the homeless camping all around town nor does it support individuals who are defiant with local laws," Petty wrote. "We place huge emphasis on being respectful citizens and on different ways we can all be assets to our greater community."

Petty asked the council to "please hold off on instating any ordinances that allow for misdemeanor charges against the homeless until adequate expansion of shelter options have been made available to them."

Even if Community Lifeline passes inspection to be able to have 50 available beds, that's not enough to accommodate the current homeless population and they only serve a short-term need, Petty wrote.

City leaders, the state and local nonprofits need to work together to find housing needs for the homeless, she wrote.

"Those battling mental health will be less likely a cause for someone else's regression when people have separated, personal spaces to retreat to. And they themselves will be less likely to face discipline that fully takes them away from being allowed shelter."