Taking inspiration from a recent Supreme Court ruling, Worcester County officials say sleeping on public property could go from a civil infraction to a criminal misdemeanor, a move that specifically targets the homeless.
“When the intersection happens between behavioral health issues and homelessness, and then criminality or victimization of others in that area, that’s where my office comes into play,” said Worcester County State’s Attorney Kristin Heiser. “It’s not our goal to prosecute the same person for the same type of low-level offense over and over again. We’d rather resolve the underlying problem.”
Under the guidance of Heiser and county attorney Roscoe Leslie, Worcester County’s Board of Commissioners says it will work in the near term to pen a draft ordinance that revisits penalties for sleeping on land owned by the county. Any such bill would then be subject to a public hearing.
Heiser said the goal of what she called an encampment ordinance is to provide a tool for law enforcement, “to make sure that the community is safe from the other effects these sort of individuals can have sometimes,” she told the commissioners at the meeting.
The commissioners discussed the issue at length during a Jan. 14 meeting with the input of several officials from the county’s social services agencies.
The biggest issue when trying to help the homeless population – or asking them to move along, if disruptive – is simply figuring out where to put them, said Sandy Kerrigan, who works on behavioral health programs with the county’s health department.
She added how the West Ocean City nonprofit Diakonia, which has shelter space, “is great and wonderful – but it’s often full.”
What criteria are used when Worcester calls a person homeless?
AI says:
The homeless are people who lack a safe, stable, and adequate place to live. This can include people who are living in emergency shelters, transitional housing, or on the streets.
Who is considered homeless?
People who are about to lose their primary residence
People who are fleeing domestic violence
People who are unaccompanied youth under 25 years old
People who are refugees within their own country
Causes of homelessness
Poverty
Lack of affordable housing
Drug dependency
Mental illness
Domestic violence
Sexual abuse
Lack of employment opportunities
Resources for the homeless
Shelters: Local shelters can provide a safe place to stay
Transitional housing: Transitional housing can help people move from homelessness to more stable housing
Financial assistance: Some organizations can provide financial assistance to cover emergency housing costs
Outreach: Outreach programs can help connect people with resources
Politically correct terms
Instead of using dehumanizing terms like “vagrant” or “derelict”, you can use neutral terms like “unhoused” or “living on the streets”
Personally, I like “hobo.”