Proposal to fine people sleeping in homeless encampments in Paterson, N.J. blocked by lawmakers
PATERSON, N.J. -- The city of Paterson, New Jersey is trying to figure out what to do with homeless encampments that have popped up.
Advocates and the public have pushed back strongly against one proposal by officials, but the problem remains.
Tents, carts and garbage along Route 19
If you pull into downtown Paterson from the south on Route 19, one of the first things you see as you enter the business district is a frigid public square occupied by the unhoused.
There are tents, shopping carts, and garbage, and all of it has drawn the attention of elected officials.
"When you get into Route 19, that's all you see. You see them sleeping there," Paterson City Council President Alex Mendez said.
According to the state's count last year, there were more than 400 people unhoused in Paterson, and advocates say the city has a shortage of shelter capacity.
In response, Mendez sponsored an ordinance to ban sleeping outdoors in public spaces. It called for those caught in tents to face a $2,000 fine or 90 days in jail, but the City Council, facing public backlash, voted down the proposal.
The search continues for solutions
The underlying problem persists, but many agree an exorbitant fine is not the answer.
"Those people, they're dying, they're freezing to death in our community, and I don't see anybody getting on top of the problem. That's the whole idea by putting this bill together. We don't want to criminalize the homeless," Mendez said.
Homeless advocates, however, say that's exactly what the ordinance would have done.
Sharonda Roberts is the founder of Muture Sisters, a group that provides showers to the unhoused people of Paterson.
"These are individuals who are down on their luck right now, and to lock them up and put them in more despair. How are they going to pay the fines?" Roberts said.
"It drives folks deeper into debt. It also further advances housing instability, and it doesn't get to the root of the problem, that is addressing why the individuals are homeless," added Matthew Hersh, of the Housing & Community Development Network of New Jersey.
Mayor Andre Sayegh said more needs to be done to connect people with available resources.
"I want everybody to meet in the middle. We're not looking to penalize anyone for being homeless. I want to make that abundantly clear. But those encampments are unsightly and they're unsafe," Sayegh said.
