Read The Cities Report

Below are excerpts from The Cities report from the National Coalition for the Homeless. The following reports represent 57 cities and towns in 29 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, according to the Coalition.

To read more of The Cities report, click here.

Anchorage, Alaska

According to a printed article, there have been five murders of homeless women in Anchorage. "I feel hunted," a client of the Rural Community Action Program's Homeward Bound program, said.

Phoenix, Ariz.

The city of Phoenix is undergoing gentrification and revitalization. The unofficial policy toward homelessness is "out of sight, out of mind."

Tucson, Ariz.

An ordinance, passed by Tucson City Council in October 2000, denies newspaper hawkers what is often their only source of employment. Many of the part-time hawkers are homeless.

Buena Park, Calif.

Diana Grue, 66, has been arrested twice in the past six years for camping in a public place. Grue became homeless when zoning ordinaces pushed her out of an acquaintance's garage.

Los Angeles, Calif

The Los Angeles Coalition to End Hunger and Homelessness reports that aggressive police sweeps target the downtown homeless community. There is a policy of relocating people to areas of downtown that are "out of sight and out of mind." Recent newspaper articles cited instances of "homeless people having as many as three citations stuffed in their pockets at one time."

Oakland, Calif.

Homeless staff writers for POOR magazine report that being homeless in Oakland has become increasingly dangerous.

Sacramento, Calif.

Homeless people regularly face police sweeps, as well as harrassment from private security forces, according to the Sacramento Homeless Organizing Committee. There is also a program called "Return to Residence" sponsored by police. Homeless advocates are dubious about the program, calling it a "get rid of homeless people scheme."

San Diego, Calif.

"San Diego is moving aggressively to deal with its homeless population in an inhumane and inhospitable manner," said Norma Rossi, founder and direction of the San Diego Coalition for the Homeless. The city has withheld funds earmarked by HUD for homeless shelters.

San Francisco, Calif.

In 1999 and 2000, there were over 42,000 citations given to homeless people for sleeping and camping in the park, urinating in public, tresspassing, and drinking in public. New legislation would make it illegal to panhandle on medians, but that proposal was defeated by organized community opposition.

San Jose, Calif.

The urgent issue is that there is no legal place to sleep if you are homeless. "San Jose police have used laws for the last ten years that target homeless people," said Sandy Perry with Community Homeless Alliance Ministry.

Santa Cruz, Calif.

The Santa Cruz panhandling law prohibits panhandling in groups of two, after dark, from a sitting position, within 50 feet of an ATM machine, in a doorway, or crosswalk. The law makes it illegal to lie while panhandling. While the law is strict by itself, the cops regularly go beyond it. Police officers have cited homeless people for panhandling even when they were complying with all the requirements of the law.

Colorado Springs, Colo.

According to Cyndy Kulp of the Housing Advocacy Coalition, individuals experiencing homelessness are targeted for things as simple as dropping a cigarette butt on the ground or using profanity. A controversial new mega-shelter is being built away from downtown as a way to decrease the visibility of homeless people in the downtown area. The Denver ACLU challenged a state panhandling ordinance a couple of years ago and won.

Denver, Colo.

In 2000 the city of Denver attempted to pass a restrictive ordinance banning aggressive panhandling, panhandling within twenty feet of an ATM, and sleeping in public, according to Jack Real of the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless and Laray Kraeplin of the Denver Voice. Kraeplin adds that the ordinance also would have made it illegal to wear military clothing without having been in the military. Homeless people and advocates fought the ordinance. As the result of a public dialogue on the ordinance, most of its provisions were dropped. However, notes Real, the ban on aggressive panhandling has been enacted.

Washington, D.C.

Advocates for individuals experiencing homelessness in Washington, D.C. agree that the city's treatment of homelessness has not changed significantly over the past five years. Most advocates agree with Terri Bishop from the Community for Creative Non-Violence when she says, "The police and government are insensitive, and the funding is not there. The residents and the government are not doing what they should do. Things have not changed." Some advocates believe that there have been some subtle changes in police behavior, criminalization initiatives and service provision, but most advocates agree that there is a shortage of affordable housing, mental health care and supportive housing, and treatment facilities.

Jacksonville, Fla.

Several advocates in Jacksonville agree that the city has become more hostile toward homeless individuals, especially in the beach areas. The City of Jacksonville recently passed an anti-homeless ordinance, though its use is very limited, says Stan Grenn of New Hope Ministries and Carl Falconer from the outreach team at Quest. Joe Nullet of the IM Sulzbacher Center for the Homeless states that the anti-homeless ordinance includes a ban on public sleeping and aggressive panhandling.

Miami, Fla.

At the insistence of the local business community, the city of Miami attempted to strong-arm the ministries that were providing meals to homeless people in public places into reducing their meals to one day a week at the behest of the local business community.

Palm Beach County, Fla.

(The Editors would like to note that, although Palm Beach County is not a city, it was included within this portion of the report because of its glaring relevance. The information from Palm Beach County is evidence of the trend of considering homeless individuals to be criminals simply because of their economic status.)

The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office has developed a database of homeless individuals and prostitutes, according to a news release circulated by the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Department. The database will be used "to identify deceased and missing individuals as well as to develop a list of suspects." The databases include typical F.I.R. (Field Interrogation Report) information in addition to the next of kin, previous medical treatment (to include broken bones), tattoos, photographs of tattoos and the last place the individuals received dental treatment. The databases have been made accessible on the internet, and all law enforcement agencies have been encouraged to use the databases

Athens, Ga.

Lynne Griever of the Georgia Task Force for the Homeless (a statewide initiative of the Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless) and the Redistribution Alternative in Athens states that aggressive panhandling ordinances are used to keep storefronts clear of unwanted people. Officers offer one warning, bar individuals from the area in front of the store, and then arrest individuals for trespassing if there is a second offense. There is also a loitering ordinance that is used to move along and sometimes arrest homeless individuals, usually when the individuals become excessively "bothersome," she says.

Atlanta, Ga.

The City of Atlanta continues to treat its homeless people as criminals. Ordinances designed to criminalize life-sustaining activities of homeless people are constantly enforced and have been dramatically expanded since the 1991 announcement of the successful Olympic bid. Public urination/defecation, sleeping in public for an extended period of time, improper use of parks after hours, and loitering ordinances are just a few of the "quality of life" charges used by police to take homeless individuals off the streets and put them into jails.

Valdosta, Ga.

Many of the homeless individuals in Valdosta have formed encampments in the woods just outside of town. For years the police have entered the encampments during the night, shining flashlights, waking people up, and ordering them to move along.

Honolulu, Hawaii

Although too few shelter spaces exist for everyone who is homeless, it is now illegal to sleep on the beach. Hasegawa says that police cite homeless people for sleeping, but usually do not cite tourists. After three citations of any kind, a homeless person risks being sent to jail, although a judge usually dismisses charges if the person appears in court.

Chicago, Ill.

In Chicago, the police have been more aggressive in targeting homeless persons and charging them with crimes, states Rene Heybach of the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless. The police are using old, vague ordinances and charging people with vagrancy, begging, loitering, etc. Many are ticketed, arrested, detained and often not prosecuted. In March, the police partnered with the transit authority and the city to announce an express policy of identifying homeless people and getting them off the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority). Shortly thereafter, a policeman shot and killed a man who was homeless as he was leaving the CTA station. The officer claimed that the man lunged at him with a fork.

Indianapolis, Ind.

Patrick Taylor of the Indiana Coalition on Housing and Homeless Issues notes some alarming trends in Indianapolis' homelessness policy in the recent past. Indianapolis has passed an anti-panhandling ordinance for certain downtown areas. Six years ago, the city barred homeless individuals from voting, but advocates were later successful in convincing the State to pass a law giving homeless people the unqualified right to vote. One downtown shelter in Indianapolis requires all of its guests to remove their clothing and wear orange jump suits upon entrance to the facility.

Jeffersonville, Ind.

Although no new anti-homeless ordinances have been passed, Barbara Anderson notes that homeless individuals are facing a direct affront to their civil rights from the jail system. Individuals who do not have a definite residence to go are refused release from the local county jail. If the shelters are full, those people are denied release.

Covington, Ky.

There are no known anti-homeless laws that are targeted strictly towards homeless individuals. Disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct and alcohol intoxication are the laws usually used to arrest homeless individuals. Homeless people have been arrested for sitting, drinking and sleeping in public areas, despite the fact that there are not alternatives for homeless individuals in Covington.

Louisville, Ky.:

Four years ago in Louisville, a homeless man fell asleep outside a local emergency room that treats homeless individuals. Some doctors and nurses decided to write "Do Not Resuscitate" on the man's forehead. The hospital was reprimanded by city officials.

New Orleans, La.

According to advocates in New Orleans, homeless persons on the street are still subject to random arrest. R. Judson Mitchell, Jr., a staff attorney at the Loyola Law Clinic of New Orleans, reports that police officers in New Orleans continue to receive instructions to arrest homeless or "vagrant-looking" people on sight. Vicki Judice of UNITY for the Homeless adds that enforcement efforts are heightened before Mardi Gras, Sugar Bowl, Jazz Fest and other major tourist events.

Portland, Me.

Police routinely move campgrounds set up by homeless people if the camps are obvious or trigger neighborhood complaints, said Poliquin. The campers are subject to background checks if they are approached by police to move their belongings. The homeless persons approached by the police must set up camp elsewhere, unless they have an outstanding warrant that leads to their arrest. As a result, homeless people sleeping outside in Portland generally stay out of sight.

Baltimore, Md.

Homelessness is currently criminalized in the city of Baltimore. Homeless people are most often arrested for aggressive panhandling, public intoxication, disorderly conduct and loitering. Sharon Cole of the Maryland Office of the Public Defender says that loitering arrests are the biggest problem for homeless people. Aggressive panhandling arrests are most common in tourist areas. If a crowd of homeless people congregates in a public area, police will ask them to "move along," says George Siletti of Creative Alternatives.

Detroit, Mich.

Local advocates agree that the City of Detroit has remained actively involved with the homeless population. The past two years have demonstrated the need to increase services due to unusually cold and snowy winters. Arthur Nowlin, M.S.W. and Executive Director of Treatment Programs at the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries, stated in an interview that there has been a rapid increase in families needing shelter. "We have been at full capacity since the change in the weather. We believe that this increase is due to the increase in the number of mothers with children needing to come in out of the cold," said Nowlin. According to activists, all area shelters are full. During warmer months, these same families are better tolerated by relatives or stay in abandoned buildings.

Pontiac, Mich.

According to information included in an Associated Press release and a news release from The Homeless People's Network on March 2, 2001, an emergency shelter was raided by Pontiac Police Department Officers. Police arrested 32 individuals, most of them for outstanding misdemeanor warrants. Eight days later, city fire and building inspection officials made a surprise visit to the shelter. All of these actions came on the heels of the announcement of plans to develop downtown Pontiac where the shelter is located. The shelter has managed to stay open on a month-to-month basis through help from other local service providers.

Las Vegas, Nev.

On April 1, 2001, a homeless man was found beaten to death in a deserted area. On Dec. 27, 2001, a 72 year-old man was beaten by a group of young teenagers. He died on March 10, 2001, in a rehabilitation hospital from complications caused by the beating.

Reno, Nev.

An out-of-sight, out-of-mind attitude toward homeless people prevails in Reno. In the past, the city has implemented few if any programs to address the problem of homelessness. One new "solution" is to place homeless men at an out-of-the-way site next to a garbage landfill and a railroad station.

Albuquerque, N.M.

Jenny Metzler of Health Care for the Homeless states that Albuquerque, N.M., is no different from many other downtown areas across the nation. It is in the midst of aggressive downtown redevelopment and claims no positive plan for the homeless community. Instead of finding solutions to the homeless crisis in New Mexico, the City has chosen to follow the widespread practice of criminalizing homelessness.

New York, New York

Police officers in New York City can always find a reason to arrest and harass homeless individuals, as well as an ordinance to justify their actions, according to Doug Lasdon, Executive Director of the Urban Justice Center. Individuals are arrested for loitering, panhandling, having no identification if they are stopped, sleeping on park benches, and drinking in public. The city has created drug-free zones near local schools, and the mandatory minimum sentences for drug use are extremely tough. There is even an ordinance that prevents individuals from cleaning car windshields and windows. Homeless people often spend up to one week at Riker's Island simply for jumping a turnstile. Lasdon adds "disturbing the peace" to the list of ordinances used to arrest and harass individuals experiencing homelessness.

Charlotte, N.C.

Charlotte has passed a panhandling ordinance to target homeless individuals. Frank Mansfield of the Uptown Shelter reports that the ordinance is used loosely. Although the number of citations issued has decreased, the Charlotte Police have been known to visit overflow facilities and shelters with lists of outstanding warrants. They check the guest registries and arrest anyone with an outstanding warrant. The police also perform periodic sweeps under bridges throughout the city.

Cincinnati, Ohio

The city of Cincinnati has chosen to deal with homelessness by criminalizing and harassing homeless and poor people. Police reports for 2000 show numerous citations are issued and arrests made in low-income neighborhoods in Cincinnati. The most common violations are: "possession of an open flask," "public intoxication," "criminal trespass," and "obstruction of official business." In many cases, there are hundreds more arrests for these violations in poor neighborhoods than in other neighborhoods.

Cleveland, Ohio

Angelo Anderson, a vendor with the Homeless Grapevine, reported, "Sweeps seem to be directly connected with the holiday season in the city's Central Business District, which steps up enforcement of aggressive solicitation laws." NEOCH and other activists worked to stop the sweeping policy in February, 2000. They also set up a Care Line for the Central Business District that allows businesses to call social service agencies to intervene instead of the police. According to Davis, "Although we have only heard isolated incidences of sweeping connected with events, we have seen limited attempts to prevent homeless people from going into surrounding suburban communities."

Toledo, Ohio

According to local activists, treatment of homeless individuals has improved in Toledo over the past few years. The city of Toledo has collaborated with service providers to supply the needs of homeless individuals. An ad hoc committee was created to determine how to meet unmet needs of homeless people, and how to end homelessness. Service providers have also developed a relationship with the city's police force that has resulted in the police not arresting any homeless individuals unless they are causing a nuisance. There have not been any sweeps of homeless individuals from the streets of Toledo.

Tulsa, Okl.

Jim Lyall from the Community Service Council of Greater Tulsa reports that he does not think any significant changes have occurred in attitude or law during the last two years affecting the criminalization of homelessness. In 1999, homeowner associations near the downtown area expressed fear and anger about homeless people in their neighborhoods.

Portland, Oregon

Despite good intentions to address issues of homelessness, the city of Portland continues to arrest and harass people simply based on their economic status. Though there was an increase in services for homeless families, youths and single adults in 2000, reports of harassment have not decreased. Chuck Currie and Elizabeth Pope of the First United Methodist Church of Portland report that the Portland Police Bureau, the Oregon State Police and Oregon Department of Transportation enforce anti-homeless laws.

Philadelphia, Pa.

Alex Otieno from Project H.O.M.E. reported that Philadelphia's treatment of homeless people has changed in the last two years. The City of Philadelphia passed the Sidewalk Behavior Ordinance into law on June 16, 1998. The bill was initially meant to be a vehicle for limiting the visibility of homeless individuals. The ordinance includes $20 fines for solicitation of funds on the highway, lying on the sidewalk, sitting on the sidewalk, leaving belongings on the sidewalk, aggressive solicitation, aggressive solicitation within eight feet of any building or vendor and aggressive solicitation within 20 feet of any bank or ATM.

Pittsburgh, Pa.

The Department of Transportation cleared out the encampment several hours after issuing a warning to the group of individuals who called the area beneath the ramp a temporary home. Advocates for individuals experiencing homelessness were outraged by the action. John Michel, an outreach worker, called the action a "betrayal of a system put into place by the Mayor's Task Force for the Homeless."

The Task Force has established a hotline that allows all agencies and individuals to call for outreach workers to come and contend with issues and concerns involving homeless people. Michel notes that the neither the DOT, nor the Department of Public Works, which requested the DOT response, called the hotline. Michel said, "Such actions are not only unnecessarily harsh, they're also ineffective in solving what people perceive as the problem: individuals living on the streets."

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico is not the paradise for people who are homeless as it is for tourists. There are many ordinances delineating prohibited conduct. It is unlawful, for instance to sit on the sidewalk, or receive money in public. It is unlawful to bathe in a public place. Creating odor is illegal, as is charging for a car wash or watching cars. On a more tragic note, people have charged the municipal police with beating and allegedly stranding them on the highway. The mayor of Bayamon has denied these charges saying that municipal police have started picking up people who are homeless "but only to offer them services."

Providence, R.I.

In general, any efforts to reduce the number of homeless people visible in Providence have been targeted at the places serving homeless people, such as shelters and soup kitchens, rather than at homeless individuals themselves. In June, an ordinance was proposed to restrict the location of soup kitchens and residential units. The ordinance was so restrictive it basically left only two areas where such facilities could be constructed, a park and the golf course.

Charleston, S.C.

Niki Rofs of Crisis Ministries sees no change in the city of Charleston's treatment of homeless people over the past two years. Homeless individuals are given two choices, either accept shelter space and make a move to get to it, or go to jail. Individuals in areas of tourism are quickly asked to leave and get to a shelter, none of which are located in the areas of high tourist traffic. Additionally, the beautification of several downtown parks has left homeless people without a place to stay or rest.

Sioux Falls, S.D.

According to an Associated Press release dated Oct. 26, 2000, Wagner Police Chief Ed Zylstra has been accused of using excessive force in arresting an American Indian woman who is experiencing homelessness. An eyewitness stated, "I saw her and the cop walking toward her. I couldn't hear what she was saying. I could just see her arms waving at her side. He just grabbed her and slammed her down to the street. Her face was on the street." The woman said that she was leaving the nearby grocery store when Zylstra told her that she was under arrest for trespassing and panhandling in the grocery store. "The next thing I knew, I was face down. My glasses broke, and my head hit the pavement. He kneeled on my kidney."

Austin, Texas

Sweeps of the downtown areas are still conducted at the end of each week and camp sweeps in secluded, wooded areas occur sporadically. Persons "recognized to be homeless" are either given tickets for public intoxication or infractions of the "no camping" ordinance. The "public intoxication" law gives police officers discretion to decide whether or not a person is drunk, and there is no verifiable field sobriety test like the one used for the drivers of motor vehicles. As a result, homeless individuals are often arrested for public intoxication even if they haven't been drinking.

Dallas, Texas

Despite careful monitoring of police harassment of homeless people in Dallas by Endless Choices, a street newspaper, the harassment has not ceased. Clora Hogan, Executive Director of the newspaper, states that the monitoring has led police to be more covert and careful with their harassment of homeless people.

El Paso, Texas

Homeless people in El Paso reported being asked to present identification from time to time, especially on Sunday mornings at the central plaza when the few people who are there are usually homeless. The El Paso Coalition for the Homeless secured a grant from the mental health authority to develop a mental health Homeless Outreach Team (HOT). This team, comprised of a psychiatrist, a nurse and several caseworkers, offers quicker access to services for the homeless population than to the housed mentally ill.

Fort Worth, Texas

Mike Doyle, executive director of Corner Stone Network, states that advocates in Fort Worth are not aware of anti-homeless ordinances. In general, if homeless people who sleep downtown stay out of the entrances to businesses that are open, they are left alone. The homeless people of Fort Worth have their own Neighborhood Patrol Officer. If there is a problem, that officer is called, and he or she determines how to handle the incident. The officer often knows the homeless individual by name.

Houston, Texas

The Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County reports that there is not a concentrated effort to criminalize homelessness in Houston. Executive Director Pamela Williford notes that three large men's shelters have been opened within the past two years, and that each one received city support. These shelters have provided greatly enhanced shelter capacity in the City of Houston.

An attempt to pass Civility Ordinances ultimately failed. The Coalition for the Homeless included outspoken advocates from the homeless population to speak at City Hall. Some members of the City Council were also strong advocates for homeless individuals.

San Antonio, Texas

KSAT-TV reported on March 27, 2001, concerning the reversal of a jury finding by the 5th Circuit Court on the previous Monday. The case involved a patrol officer from the downtown beat in San Antonio who spoke out against orders to target and harass gang members and homeless people in the downtown area. Officer Serna claimed that he was transferred to a different beat because he blew the whistle on the city police department's policy of harassment. A jury found in favor of Serna, but the 5th Circuit Court reversed the decision. The reversal is being appealed by Serna's attorney, Bruce Mery.

Salt Lake City

A few years ago, the former mayor of Salt Lake City began a "zero-tolerance" of homelessness policy in an effort to "clean up" Pioneer Park, a downtown park near the Travelers' Aide homeless shelter. The focus of this new policy was primarily the dealing and use of drugs in the area. However, advocates believe the policy was enforced too broadly. The numbers of complaints of police brutality rose as police officers volunteering for this assignment hassled, ticketed, or arrested homeless people who allegedly committed minor "infractions" such as loitering, spitting, jaywalking, littering or trespassing.

Lynnwood, Wash.

An Associated Press report from May 7, 2001, states that Lynnwood, Wash., passed an ordinance prohibiting individuals from living in their cars. The ordinance carries up to a 90 day jail sentence and up to a $1000 fine. Rick Reynolds, executive director of operation nightwatch, said that Lynnwood's attitude seems to be, "We don't care that they're homeless; we just want them out of our sight."

Seattle, Wash.

Tim Harris, editor of Real Change, says that homeless people in Seattle are cited and arrested for drinking in public and sitting or lying in public areas. There is a partnership between the Department of Corrections and the Police whereby police officers are given information on outstanding warrants on people to whom they are issuing a citation. Thus, they are able to arrest persons who would otherwise only be issued a citation.

Wheeling, W.Va.

Although services in Wheeling are scarce, and affordable housing is even scarcer, there is an apparent apathy towards homeless individuals. Homeless people reportedly sleep free of community and police harassment. All of the men interviewed have positive things to say about the Wheeling Police Department. There are no anti-camping laws, and arrests and citations for "non-victim crimes," like "possession of an open flask," are minimal. However, several of the men comment that Wheeling is a good place to get sober, but a difficult place to leave homelessness. Livable wage jobs and affordable housing are apparently very difficult to come by, and often people leave the area in search of work and housing. Mental health services and health care for homeless individuals are also very scarce.