Atlantic City to ban homeless encampments as part of cleanup effort
Officials in Atlantic City, New Jersey, are moving forward with a plan to ban homeless encampments in public spaces, the New York Post reported.Last month, the city established the Boardwalk Improvement Group to lead a cleanup effort to move homeless individuals residing under the boardwalk into shelter spaces. City employees have been sent to the boardwalk to connect hundreds of homeless individuals with shelters and advocacy groups.'We won't ignore the issue.'As part of that ongoing mission, officials recently announced that they plan to introduce a law that will prohibit people from sleeping in public spaces.The campaign to address the crisis was launched by Mayor Marty Small (D) after the Supreme Court's recent ruling that local governments have the authority to restrict individuals from sleeping in public areas. The high court noted that such laws do not constitute "cruel and unusual punishment."Fencing will be installed to deter people from trying to sleep under the boardwalk. Law enforcement officers have also been stationed to patrol the area."We won't ignore the issue of homelessness in our city, an issue that has been long overlooked," Small told the Post. "We cannot be a world-class destination if we can't find a way to help the people living in our own city."According to Small, other municipalities have been sending their homeless to Atlantic City. Small previously said he is unsure who is sending the individuals to the city.He told the Post, "It's disappointing to see, but we deal with it."Jarrod Barnes, Atlantic City's director of health and human services, explained that many homeless individuals have refused to move into shelters in the past, but he hopes the new law will push them to accept the assistance."A lot of the people we try to move away think it's fine to keep living on the street because they've just been doing it for so long, and that can't be the case," Barnes explained."No one deserves to live on the streets," he continued. "A lot of these people are just folks who are down on their luck or people dealing with substance abuse issues."Homeless encampments underneath the boardwalk have caused fire hazards in the past. One 67-year-old man passed away in April after a fire ignited and spread to nearby businesses."We had one guy who was able to set up circuits to power a multi-bedroom apartment built under the boardwalk," Barnes stated.Small explained that one man tapped into one of the casino's beer lines to nab free drinks. During a July press conference, Small noted that the city's homelessness crisis did not appear overnight and would take some time to solve. "It's my job as mayor of the great city of Atlantic City to give them the necessary tools to succeed. And we're doing that in a big way," Small said.California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) recently announced an executive order to crack down on the state's rampant homelessness crisis. He also cited the Supreme Court's ruling as the catalyst for enacting the ordinance, which will push local governments to clear out encampments. Newsom has claimed for decades that solving California's homeless problem is one of his top priorities. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Officials in Atlantic City, New Jersey, are moving forward with a plan to ban homeless encampments in public spaces, the New York Post reported.
Last month, the city established the Boardwalk Improvement Group to lead a cleanup effort to move homeless individuals residing under the boardwalk into shelter spaces. City employees have been sent to the boardwalk to connect hundreds of homeless individuals with shelters and advocacy groups.
'We won't ignore the issue.'
As part of that ongoing mission, officials recently announced that they plan to introduce a law that will prohibit people from sleeping in public spaces.
The campaign to address the crisis was launched by Mayor Marty Small (D) after the Supreme Court's recent ruling that local governments have the authority to restrict individuals from sleeping in public areas. The high court noted that such laws do not constitute "cruel and unusual punishment."
Fencing will be installed to deter people from trying to sleep under the boardwalk. Law enforcement officers have also been stationed to patrol the area.
"We won't ignore the issue of homelessness in our city, an issue that has been long overlooked," Small told the Post. "We cannot be a world-class destination if we can't find a way to help the people living in our own city."
According to Small, other municipalities have been sending their homeless to Atlantic City. Small previously said he is unsure who is sending the individuals to the city.
He told the Post, "It's disappointing to see, but we deal with it."
Jarrod Barnes, Atlantic City's director of health and human services, explained that many homeless individuals have refused to move into shelters in the past, but he hopes the new law will push them to accept the assistance.
"A lot of the people we try to move away think it's fine to keep living on the street because they've just been doing it for so long, and that can't be the case," Barnes explained.
"No one deserves to live on the streets," he continued. "A lot of these people are just folks who are down on their luck or people dealing with substance abuse issues."
Homeless encampments underneath the boardwalk have caused fire hazards in the past. One 67-year-old man passed away in April after a fire ignited and spread to nearby businesses.
"We had one guy who was able to set up circuits to power a multi-bedroom apartment built under the boardwalk," Barnes stated.
Small explained that one man tapped into one of the casino's beer lines to nab free drinks.
During a July press conference, Small noted that the city's homelessness crisis did not appear overnight and would take some time to solve.
"It's my job as mayor of the great city of Atlantic City to give them the necessary tools to succeed. And we're doing that in a big way," Small said.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) recently announced an executive order to crack down on the state's rampant homelessness crisis. He also cited the Supreme Court's ruling as the catalyst for enacting the ordinance, which will push local governments to clear out encampments. Newsom has claimed for decades that solving California's homeless problem is one of his top priorities.
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Originally Published at Daily Wire, World Net Daily, or The Blaze
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