Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout17-26 Resolution in Support of Putting Panhandlers to Work f BILL NO. 17- RESOLUTION NO. A RESOLUTION OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND,INDIANA, STRONGLY ENDORSING AND RECOMMENDING IMPLEMENTATION OF A PILOT EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM TO REDUCE PANHANDLING WITHIN THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND AND FOR AN APPROPRIATION WITHIN THE 2018 CITY BUDGET OF MONIES TO FUND SUCH PILOT PROGRAM WHEREAS,the City of South Bend, like many cities within the country, has experienced solicitation of money by people who are often having financial hardships and other types of distress from fellow citizens, particularly in warmer months within downtown South Bend and at busy street corners throughout the City; and WHEREAS, the conduct of personally soliciting money from others in public places, known as panhandling, can be uncomfortable, awkward, and unpleasant for the person being solicited as well as being a loss of dignity for the solicitor; and WHEREAS, the City of South Bend has enacted laws to regulate and reduce this conduct at Chapter 13, Article 2, Sections 25 through 27 of the South Bend Municipal Code which has helped curb aggressive panhandling but does not affect its root causes of poverty and homelessness; and WHEREAS, other cities have initiated programs to curtail panhandling such as installing bright parking style meters where visitors and residents can donate to local non-profits rather than hand cash to panhandlers, and providing gift cards and mittens to those in need; and WHEREAS, the city of Portland, Maine, population around 67,000, has started a constructive, innovative program based on a similar one in Albuquerque, New Mexico (population around 546,000) which Portland has titled the "Portland Opportunity Crew. It offers to pay panhandlers the city's minimum wage plus lunch for a six hour work day cleaning public parks and spaces, after which social services including job training are made available; and WHEREAS, the Portland Opportunity Crew program estimated cost is around $41,000.00, and Portland appropriated $25,000 in early May 2017 to fund a pilot program for 36 weeks, and the Albuquerque program began with a $50,000 budget but now receives $181,000 annually of which nearly $61,000 is donated; and WHEREAS, giving persons the opportunity to improve the community for fair compensation in lieu of incurring the stigma and discomfort of begging for money provides dignity to the individual in need, and reduces the frustration and irritation of persons being solicited for funds; and WHEREAS, The Mayor and the South Bend Common Council will soon begin the 2018 budget process and the Council requests and recommends that the Administration include i Y funding within the 2018 budget in the sum of$25,000.00 to initiate a pilot program similar to the Portland Opportunity Crew. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, AS FOLLOWS: Section I. The Common Council hereby expresses its strong endorsement of and recommendation for the implementation in South Bend, Indiana, of a program similar to the Portland [Maine] Opportunity Crew to address constructively and innovatively the social problems of panhandling within the City of South Bend. Section II. The Common Council hereby states that it requests and encourages the City Administration to provide within the 2018 budget the sum of $25,000.00 to commence such a program on a pilot basis Section III. This Resolution shall be in full force and effect from and after its adoption by the Co on C cil. le- O avis,Vice Pr ommon ouncil e ' i lams- ommo ci Kare L. White, Common Cou&H at Large Jo e Signing of t:is bii11 is cj}t'y to pcvm an opportunity fOr pubk h6aM9 and Cound acorn(Xi this Is", Filed in Clerk's Office PRESENTED JUN 06 2017 Not APPROW KAREEMAH FOWLER CITY CLERK,SOUTH BEND,IN ADOP rrl This Republican mayor has an incredibly simple idea to help the homeless. And it seems t... Page 1 of 3 V,he Washilt-0on Post Inspired Life This Republican ma or Y has an incredibly simple p idea to hel p the homeless. And it seems to be working. By Colby Itkowitz August 11,2016 Republican Mayor Richard Berry was driving around Albuquerque last year when he saw a man on a street corner holding a sign that read: "Want a Job.Anything Helps." Throughout his administration,as part of a push to connect the homeless population to services,Berry had taken to driving through the city to talk to panhandlers about their lives.His city's poorest residents told him they didn't want to be on the streets begging for money,but they didn't know where else to go. Seeing that sign gave Berry an idea. Instead of asking them,many of whom feel dispirited,to go out looking for work,the city could bring the work to them. Next month will be the first anniversary of Albuquerque's There's a Better Way program,which hires panhandlers for day jobs beautifying the city.In partnership with a local nonprofit that serves the homeless population,a van is dispatched around the city to pick up panhandlers who are interested in working.The job pays $9 an hour,which is above minimum wage,and provides a lunch.At the end of the shift,the participants are offered overnight shelter as needed. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2016/08/1 1/this-republican-mayor-... 6/6/2017 This Republican mayor has an incredibly simple idea to help the homeless. And it seems t... Page 3 of 3 "He now has a support system he didn't know he needed and definitely didn't know existed,"she said."It's life-changing for them. He was one that said,`I would much rather earn my money than have someone hand it to me.'" Dozens of cities around the country have reached out to Berry wanting to copy the program.It's a testament,he said,to the work mayors do regardless of political party. He was the first Republican mayor elected in Albuquerque in 30 years,he said,and he's proactively tackling homelessness. The program hasn't weeded out all panhandling in the city,and supporters say that's not really the point. It's connecting people who would otherwise not seek help to needed services.And it's showing them when they are at their lowest that they have real value, and that others are willing to show them kindness to help them have a better life. "It's helping hundreds of people,"Berry said, "and our city is more beautiful than ever." Want more inspiring news and ideas to improve your life?Sign up for the Saturday Inspired Life newsletter. Colby Itkowitz is the lead anchor of the Inspired Life blog.She previously covered the quirks of national politics and the federal government. !I Follow @colbyitkowitz https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2016/08/1 1/this-republican-mayor-... 6/6/2017 PrintFriendly.com: Print & PDF Page 1 of 9 To Portland panhandlers, program may offer welcome change: Jobs P www.pressheraid.com/2017/03/05/to-panhandlers-program-may-offer-welcome-change-jobs/ By Randy Billings Dana Burnell said he'd rather be working. But that's difficult when you're homeless and struggling with substance abuse issues, he said, standing at the intersection of Somerset and Franklin streets in Portland holding a cardboard sign that asks for money so he can buy something to eat. "I've always been a working man," he said on a recent weekday morning, shortly before a driver handed him $2. "1 write `work' on my sign and get few offers." Soon, panhandlers such as Burnell may not have to look far to find work. City officials are working on a 36-week pilot program to offer day jobs to panhandlers. A city social worker would drive a van around to busy intersections and offer panhandlers a chance to earn $10.68 an hour cleaning up parks and other light labor jobs. They would be paid at the end of each day. Panhandling has been a growing concern in U.S. cities such as Portland, where business owners worry the practice puts a damper on tourism and some residents and visitors complain about panhandlers asking for money on sidewalks and at stoplights. In recent years, panhandlers have spread into smaller communities and staked out street corners in places such as Biddeford, Scarborough, South Portland, Wells, Augusta and Bangor. Journalism you can trust. We need it now more than ever. Get a digital subscription to the Portland Press Herald Communities' responses have ranged from passing ordinances that restrict begging to discouraging people from giving directly to panhandlers. Two years ago, Augusta's police chief grew so frustrated with panhandlers that he took a day off to stand at an intersection with a cardboard sign telling people to donate to charities, rather than panhandlers. In 2015, Bangor police sent out a similar message on Facebook about donating to charities, prompting a dozen people to panhandle in front of the police station in protest. Portland, like Bangor, has an ordinance against aggressive panhandling. In 2013, Portland banned loitering and panhandling on street medians, citing public safety concerns. The law for street medians was challenged by several residents and the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine, and ultimately was deemed an unconstitutional infringement on free speech by the courts. littps://www.printfriendly.com/print?url_s=uGGC_%7E_PdN_%7E_PcS_%7E_Pc SJJJmCE... 6/6/2017 PrintFriendly.com: Print & PDF Page 2 of 9 Similar bans were discussed in Bangor and Biddeford, but dropped. Bangor's police department now collects donations of mittens and gift cards to distribute to those in need. Biddeford City Manager James Bennett said his city would still like to do something. "If we had a workable solution, there would be interest in it," Bennett said. With court decisions striking down restrictions, many communities around the country are looking for more constructive ways to tackle panhandling and homelessness, according to Eric Tars, a senior attorney for the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that is dedicated to ending and preventing homelessness. Cities such as New Haven, Connecticut; Orlando, Florida; and Denver, Colorado, have begun installing brightly colored parking-style meters where well-intentioned visitors and residents can make donations to local nonprofits rather than hand money to panhandlers. A dozen meters installed in Orlando have raised about $2,250 since 2011, according to The Associated Press, while Denver has raised $100,000 a year by using the meters, collection boxes near airport security checkpoints and a new program that allows people to text donations. In Portland, a downtown merchants organization has formed its own group to look at ways to address panhandling, which local business owners believe is a black eye on the city's tourism industry. Casey Gilbert, executive director of Portland Downtown, said it's too soon to say what recommendations the group will make. https://www.printfriendly.com/print?url_s=uGGC_%7E_PdN_%7E_Pc S_°/`7E_Pc SJJJmC E... 6/6/2017 PrintFriendly.com: Print & PDF Page 3 of 9 r 1 'Y r 4+rr� r _ r �00 t A r 4011 Aaron Root.i.'i.panl and es�t the ex,:,c u c ook Cro,sing shopping center on the Portland/Westbroek city line late last month.He says medical issues keep him from working,but he takes no pleasure from panhandling,either."I hate it,"he said "With every car that passes by,a piece of my soul goes away."Staff photo by Gregory Rec `PORTLAND OPPORTUNITY CREW' The latest creative response to panhandling is to offer jobs. Communities such as San Jose, California, and Chicago are trying innovative work programs for panhandlers, and publicity about a new work program in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is helping to spread the idea, Tars said. "It is in line with the best evidence out there about taking a constructive, alternative approach rather than criminalizing homelessness," Tars said. While Albuquerque is nearly eight times the size of Portland —a population of nearly 545,852 compared to Portland's nearly 67,000 residents— Portland City Manager Jon Jennings hopes to replicate some of the success of Albuquerque's program. littps://www.printfriendly.com/print?Curl_s=uGGC_g/o7E_PdN_°/`7E_PcS_g/o7E_Pc SJJJmCE... 6/6/2017 PrintFriendly.com: Print & PDF Page 4 of 9 . ry In September 2015,Will Scroth was among the first homeless people to be hired by an innovative program in Albuquerque to provide day jobs to panhandlers.Officials in Portland hope to replicate some of that New Mexico city's success here in Maine.Albuquerque Journal/Marla Brose "We know there are still going to be people standing on street corners," Jennings said. "But we're trying to help people who feel they have to do that and give them hope for a positive future." The proposal to create the "Portland Opportunity Crew," as it is being called, originallywas due to go before the City Council's Health and Human Services Committee on Feb. 14, but it was rescheduled to March 28 to allow staff more time to fine-tune the details. The goal is not only to reduce the number of panhandlers standing at intersections, but also to connect people with social services that could put them on a path to healthier and more productive, stable lives, officials said. "We want to make sure people have opportunities in the city and they aren't relegated to panhandling as their only way to make ends meet," said City Councilor Belinda Ray, who leads the Health and Human Services Committee. "It's an exciting idea to think we might be able to do something, but I need to see the details before I weigh in." According to a draft proposal, Portland's program would run two days a week from April to November. An employee in the city's Social Services Division would drive a city-owned van to popular panhandling intersections and offer people a day's worth of work cleaning city parks and public spaces and doing some light landscaping. The city would accept the first five people who agree to work each day. https://www.printfriendly.com/print?url_s=uGGC_%7E PdN_°/a7E PcS_%7E_PcSJJJmCE... 6/6/2017 PrintFriendly.coni: Print& PDF Page 5 of 9 Participants would be paid the city's minimum wage of$10.68 an hour—which is higher than the state minimum of$9 an hour—for a six-hour day. They would also get breakfast, lunch and water. At the end of the day, they would be taken to the city's Social Services Division so they can not only get paid, but also be offered other services, such job training and other support. Some panhandlers could get longer-term employment with the city, or with local landscaping companies that may partner with the city. The city would place signs at busy intersections telling people about the program. Eventually, the city would like to add some sort of fundraising component for local charities, according to Julie Sullivan, the senior adviser to the city manager who will present the recommendation to the council committee. �i 0 DONA Enbq org After being picked up on various street corners in a van.a crew of panhandlers starts the morning with doughnuts and milk before getting to work cleann- out overgrown tumbleweeds in Albuquerque. N.M..in 2015.The workers make$9 a hour-Albuquerque Joumal/Marla Brose THE EXPERIENCE IN ALBUQUERQUE The pilot program would cost $42,000, primarily for wages, food, fuel for the van and city staffing. Sullivan said the city is seeking funding through foundations and grants, including an application through the city's Community Development Block Grant program, which is intended to help low-income people and neighborhoods. Sullivan said the program is different from workfare, which requires able-bodied recipients who work in order to receive General Assistance. Panhandlers don't always have contact with city social service workers, she said. https://www.printfriendly.com/print?url_s=uGGC_%7E_PdN_%7E_PcS_%7E_PcSJJJmCE... 6/6/20 17 PrintFriendly.com: Print & PDF Page 6 of 9 "They're not currently engaged with us," Sullivan said. "We want to be able to get these folks to earn more money more safely, and get them hooked up with services." That approach has worked well in Albuquerque, according to Mayor Richard Berry, who launched "There's a Better Way" in 2015. According to data on the city's website, 1,689 day jobs have been given as of Feb. 6, resulting in the cleanup of 398 city blocks, including the removal of 117,601 pounds of litter. Twenty people have received housing through the program and 151 people have received mental health or substance abuse services. "It's just simple enough it works great," Berry said in an interview with the Maine Sunday Telegram. "This has done a lot more than I thought it would. Our beautiful city is even better than before." Berry said prospective workers are receptive when approached with dignity and respect and become more motivated when someone believes in their ability to accomplish something. "It's amazing what people can do when you give them a chance," he said. Albuquerque relies on a local nonprofit agency that focuses on homelessness to administer and run the program, while the city provides funding. Signs are placed at busy intersections, encouraging people to donate to nonprofits through a website that is operated by their local United Way. Albuquerque's program began with a $50,000 budget, but now receives $181,000 a year. Community donations have reached nearly $60,000. "Now I can tell my City Council it was a good investment," Berry said. Kellie Tillerson, the employment director of the St. Martin's Hospitality Center, the nonprofit homeless agency that has partnered with the city, said the additional funding has allowed them to expand the program from two days a week to four days. The program has provided work to 488 people, she said, noting that more than 200 of those people have accessed employment services. "We have business owners, homeowners, and other agencies that hire our workers for small jobs" for one day at a time, she said. "This program has proven to be a good way to fill the gap in employment while the workers access our Job Development services and seek permanent employment." Berry said he would advise Portland to keep the program simple and agile by partnering with a local nonprofit. It should also have crews working in high-profile areas and neighborhoods, so the community can develop a connection to the program. THE REACTION FROM PANHANDLERS There appears to be some street-level interest in the program in Portland, based on a city survey and on interviews with panhandlers by the Maine Sunday Telegram. Sullivan said city staff surveyed 30 panhandlers last October, half of whom were homeless. She said 85 percent of them said they'd be interested in participating in such a program. Nearly half indicated they panhandle seven days a week and 75 percent said they make only $10 to $20 a day. Three out of four people said they had a long-term mental health or physical disability and 60 percent said they had substance abuse issues, Sullivan said. https://www.printfriendly.com/print?url_s=uGGC_%7E_PdN_%7E_PcS_%7E_PcSJJJmCE... 6/6/2017 PrintFriendly.com: Print & PDF Page 7 of 9 Burnell is one of the panhandlers who said he would happily take a job. "I would definitely hop in the van," Burnell said. "I would much rather be working than be out here getting hollered at." A number of people interviewed by the newspaper said some panhandlers would be unwilling or unable to participate in the program. Aaron Root said he has health issues that require blood transfusions and prevent him from working. The 41- year-old flies a cardboard sign seven days a week at various locations near Brighton Avenue at the Portland-Westbrook line. He said he is trying to get on disability for his medical condition and has a housing voucher, but can't find an apartment. If he earns enough money on a street corner, he and his girlfriend stay at the Motel 6. If not, they take a bus into town and stay at the city shelter. "(Recently), I'm spending a week in the hospital every month," Root said. "It's tough to find an employer who will work with that." Homeless through "a series of unfortunate events and bad decisions," Root said he takes no pleasure in panhandling. "I hate it," he said. "With every car that passes by, a piece of my soul goes away. For every little bit I get, my soul goes away a little bit more." " 5 r �R 7 _ a K Jr On On Riverside Street,22-year-old panhandler Bryan Tardiff expressed support for the jobs program that is under consideration in Portland,but added:"I make more money flying a sign than I do at a full-time job."Staff photo by Gregory Rec littps://www.printfriendly.com/print?url_s=uGGC_%7E_PdN_%7E PcS_%7E_PcSJJJiiiCE... 6/6/2017 PrintFriendly.com: Print & PDF Page 8 of 9 At another nearby intersection, Bryan Tardiff voiced support for the city program, but also warned that some panhandlers make more per hour than the city would pay. The 22-year-old said he can make $80 to $100 in as little as two hours flying a sign, enough to outweigh the shame and abuse that come with panhandling, including people yelling at him and throwing full cups of soda at him. "I make more money flying a sign than I do at a full-time job," he said. ADVOCATES EMPHASIZE VOLUNTEER ASPECT Bill Higgins, an advocate for Preble Street's Homeless Voices for Justice, a Portland-based advocacy group of people who have experienced homelessness, said the city needs to make it clear that working is optional and city staff should not pressure people to participate. "It's got to be presented as a volunteer thing, and they have to tell the people exactly what they will be doing for work that day, so they'll have the opportunity to make a sound decision," Higgins said. "They have the right to be standing there. (The city doesn't) have the right to force anyone to do anything." Tars, the attorney from the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, shared similar concerns. He worried that the community may take a more negative view of disabled panhandlers who cannot participate in the program. "Most people have either a physical or mental disability that prevents them from doing this. If you make this as an option, the city will find no shortage of people," he said. "Those who don't—or can't— because of a disability shouldn't be penalized or viewed more dimly." Randy Billings can be contacted at 791-6346 or at: [email protected] Twitter: randybillings Share rIZI a 10C Read or Post Comments Send questions/comments to the editors. Want the news vital to Maine? Our daily headlines email is delivered each morning. • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. https:Hwww.printfriendly.com/print?url_s=uGGC_%7E_PdN_%7E—PcS_%7E_PcSJJJmCE... 6/6/2017 Alkeyna Aldridge From: Alkeyna Aldridge Sent: Wednesday, June 07, 2017 8:39 AM To: Alkeyna Aldridge Subject: FW: "South Bend Program Would Pay Panhandlers To Work Councilman Proposes Resolution Based On What Other Cities Do" - South Bend Tribune Article From: oliver6thdist @aol.com [mailto:oliver6thdist @aol.com] Sent: Wednesday,June 07, 2017 6:01 AM Cc: Oliver J. Davis Subject: "South Bend Program Would Pay Panhandlers To Work Councilman Proposes Resolution Based On What Other Cities Do" -South Bend Tribune Article lttp•//www southbendtribune.com/news/local/south-bend-program-would-pay-panhandlers- o-work/article 32af2362-1352-5eOb-8965-2cf088e6b1d1.html South Bend Program Would Pay Panhandlers To Work ;ouncilman Proposes Resolution Based On What Other Cities Do - By Jeff Parrott South Bend Tribune, June 6, '.017 k group of common council members, led by Oliver Davis, D-6th (Karen L. White, Regina Williams-Preston, and John Ioorde), plans to propose a resolution Monday asking the city administration to offer day work to panhandlers. The city vould pay them the minimum wage for city employees, $10.10 an hour, and would also try linking them to social services or more permanent help. "he resolution doesn't specify the type of work the panhandlers would do, but it references similar programs in Portland, ✓laine and Albuquerque, N.M., where the jobs have involved cleaning public parks and spaces. Davis is acting now becaus he city is beginning to craft next year's budget, and he's asking the administration to earmark $25,000 for the effort in the '018 budget request it presents to the council. The resolution helps give the administration a framework of what we'd like to see in place and budgeted," Davis said. `'W, lon't really have to recreate the wheel... since programs are already out there and having some degree of success." Mow is the Link to Read the Full Article - ittp://www.southbendtribune.com/news/local/south- bend-program-would-pay-panhandlers-to- Nork/article 32af2362-1352-5eOb-8965- 2cf088e6b1dthtml