ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Allentown City Council on Wednesday showed its support for homeless people's rights, three weeks after advocates publicly shamed members for shooting down a more-robust measure.
Six of seven council members voted to approve a resolution that says the city will commit “to the equitable use of public spaces” and “seek compassionate and effective solutions to homelessness.”
Councilman Daryl Hendricks was the lone vote against the resolution.
Four other members — Cynthia Mota, Ed Zucal, Santo Napoli and Candida Affa — supported it after voting June 26 against a Homeless Bill of Rights.
Councilwomen Ce-Ce Gerlach and Natalie Santos voted to pass both.
'Safe, welcoming' places for all
The resolution council passed Wednesday included very little of the language in the failed Bill of Rights.
The failed Homeless Bill of Rights would have been a symbolic statement of the city’s support for people without permanent shelter.
It included a dozen provisions guaranteeing those experiencing homelessness maintain their rights despite their living situations.
Allentown is "committed to maintaining these public spaces as safe, welcoming, and accessible places for everyone, ensuring that they serve their intended purpose for all members of the community.”Allentown City Council resolution
Those provisions included protections for people’s access to medical care, employment fairness and public spaces, as well as their constitutional rights to personal property, privacy and safety.
Allentown’s Commission on Homelessness worked on the measures for more than a year. Advocates for homeless people shouted “Shame!” at members last month after they voted down the Bill of Rights.
Gerlach said she was “so disappointed” in her colleagues who “voted against giving homeless people rights.”
The councilwoman told LehighValleyNews.com she slept in her car for six months in 2009 after getting a flat tire.
She challenged her colleagues Wednesday to show that they care about the city’s unhoused community.
“I’m a progressive — it’s known,” she said. “For those of you who are a little bit moderate, a little conservative, this is a resolution for you to show that the unsheltered community and the safety of Allentown residents … that we can balance both, that we care about both.”
Homelessness not a crime: Resolution
The resolution approved Wednesday says the city is “committed to maintaining these public spaces as safe, welcoming, and accessible places for everyone, ensuring that they serve their intended purpose for all members of the community.”
Allentown “will implement measures to balance the use of these spaces for recreation, relaxation, and community activities with the needs of all community members, including those experiencing homelessness,” the resolution states.
“When we start specializing individual groups, where’s it going to lead us to?”Allentown City Councilman Daryl Hendricks
It declares that homelessness is not a crime in Allentown, but it does not stop Allentown police from enforcing any regulations against people without housing.
All city ordinances, such as those that ban people from sleeping in public places, are unaffected by the resolution’s adoption, council members made clear.
Hendricks, who also voted against the Homeless Bill of Rights, said he felt the resolution passed Wednesday establishes “a slippery slope” for the city.
“When we start specializing individual groups, where’s it going to lead us to?” Hendricks said.
Gerlach answered that question later in the meeting.
“That has led to women voting, Black people having equal rights, Latino people having equal rights, the LGBTQ community being able to get married,” she said.
“So I think we should focus on specific communities.”
'It is what it is'
The resolution also directly rebukes the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling last month that cities can punish homeless people for sleeping in public spaces.
“The City of Allentown will not arrest or ticket individuals solely for the condition of being homeless, focusing instead on supportive and constructive measures,” the resolution states.
“People out here, they’ve got nowhere to go.”Robert, who identified himself as homeless
A man who said he was homeless and who identified himself as "Robert" urged council members Wednesday to “put some money together” to get people into temporary housing, as many municipalities did amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Robert told LehighValleyNews.com that he’s often worried about harassment and “police abusing their power” against homeless people.
He said he’s been staying up much of the night throughout the recent heat wave, trying to keep moving and avoid interactions with the police.
“People out here, they’ve got nowhere to go,” he said. He said he’s been kicked out of 7-Eleven stores and other establishments throughout the city.
“It is what it is,” he said when asked about council’s symbolic resolution.
