Homeless Feeding Bans

Homeless feeding bans: Well-meaning policy or war on the poor? By Matt Pearce, June 11, 2012, Los Angeles Times: “You can’t just feed the homeless outdoors in Philadelphia anymore; you now need a permit. In Dallas, you can give away food only with official permission first. Laws tightening regulations on aid to the homeless are popping up across the country, according to a recent USA Today report: “Atlanta, Phoenix, San Diego, Los Angeles, Miami, Oklahoma City and more than 50 other cities have previously adopted some kind of anti-camping or anti-food-sharing laws, according to the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty.” So the question being asked by many critics is: Are American officials trying to help the poor — or legislate them out of sight? “Starting in about 2006, several cities began arresting, fining, and otherwise oppressing private individuals and nonprofits that feed the homeless and less fortunate. . .”