[ From "City approves stricter panhandling laws," By Eric Lindberg, Daily Sound, Aug. 19, 2009 ]

City leaders agreed to a series of stricter laws regulating aggressive panhandling in Santa Barbara, but the new legislation won’t be enforceable until the city establishes a charitable giving campaign to support homelessness recovery efforts...

“We are not under a societal obligation to give out alcohol and crystal meth,” Councilmember Das Williams said. “That is where a considerable amount of money that is given out to the public is going.”

... Under the new law, “abusive” panhandling would be outlawed outright, while “active” panhandling would be regulated. Abusive solicitation involves blocking someone’s path, following someone after they decline to donate, threatening someone, using offensive words while panhandling or touching someone...

On the other hand, active solicitation — described as verbally requesting a direct donation of money or item of value — would be prohibited only if the person being solicited is at a bus stop, in a car on a public street, in a city parking lot, in an outdoor dining area, near an ATM or in a queue.

Actively requesting alms would also be prohibited while sitting on a public bench or seating area on State Street, Cabrillo Boulevard or Milpas Street...

Passive panhandling, such as merely displaying a sign or using non-verbal indications seeking alms, would also be allowed throughout the city...

Violators face fines up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail. The ordinance also bumps aggressive solicitation from an infraction to a misdemeanor offense.

... the bulk of the discussion surrounded the question of when the new laws should go into effect. Since the concept was initially discussed, city leaders had planned to link the stricter panhandling regulations with an alternative giving campaign.

Such a campaign could possibly involve placing donation boxes in participating businesses and along State Street, with proceeds supporting increased homelessness outreach and support. City staffers said the project is moving along and could be approved by early 2010.

Nonetheless, Williams proposed putting the ordinance on the books and enforcing it through the end of the year, at which point it would be suspended if the charitable giving campaign wasn’t approved.

“I believe the community is crying out for action now,” said Councilmember Iya Falcone, agreeing along with Councilmember Roger Horton to support Williams’ proposal.

... City leaders ultimately voted to approve the new panhandling regulations, but will wait until the charitable giving campaign is in place before putting the laws into effect.

Labels: homelessness, panhandling

[ Excerpt from: ACLU Sues City - Says Anti-Camping Laws Criminalize Poor and Disabled," By Isabelle T. Walker, SB INDEPENDENT, March 7, 2009 ]


With the closure of Casa Esperanza’s winter shelter fast approaching, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Santa Barbara Friday seeking an end to its prohibitions against sleeping and camping in public. The group said the laws criminalize impoverished, disabled residents who have no alternative place to lay their heads.

The ACLU of Southern California is also considering seeking a court order to keep the Casa Esperanza shelter open beyond April 1, when half of its 200 beds are scheduled to disappear and 100 homeless will be sent back on the streets where they are liable to be ticketed and ultimately sent to jail, said the group’s legal director Mark Rosenbaum...

City Councilman Das Williams said though he had not had a chance to read the suit yet, he expected the city would handle it constructively.

“As someone who had to live in my vehicle when I was younger, I am diametrically opposed to the criminalization of poverty. I know the city is doing some very good things to transition people out of homelessness and into housing. But if there’s something we’re not doing, or if there’s something we’re doing that works against the chance to deal compassionately with the homeless, then I’m glad we’ll have a chance to look at it,” he said...

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For full text of the article quoted above, comments and images, please go to:

SB INDEPENDENT: ACLU Sues

Also track this issue as it is being reported by additional news sources at:

DAS WILLIAMS Website

Labels: ACLU, homelessness

[ Excerpt from: "City Aims to Curb Begging," By Lexi Pandell, DAILY NEXUS, March 3, 2009 ]


Santa Barbara is looking to tackle its transient problem and significantly reduce the number of panhandlers on State Street.



( Photo courtesy of the DAILY NEXUS )


Last week, the city council voted unanimously to adopt a new 12-point plan for curbing aggressive panhandling and extending resources to the city’s homeless population. The plan specifically targets the transient population on and around State Street and seeks to help business owners and other residents affected by rampant panhandling.

Councilmembers Iya Falcone, Dale Francisco and Helene Schneider presented the plan to the council at last Tuesday’s meeting. According to Schneider, the plan will push education as a solution to the homeless situation, while stricter regulations, harsher penalties and increased funding will also be key.

In all, the plan - which is the product of community feedback collected through a series of nine meetings dating back to last June - is comprised of a dozen recommendations aimed at improving enforcement, prevention and intervention.

To curb begging, the council has suggested the implementation of an “alternative giving” program. Loosely based off a Denver program that asks residents to give money to a general fund targeted at preventing homelessness instead of individual panhandlers, Councilmember Das Williams proposed the idea of using what he called “compassion coupons.”

“The goal is a compassion, not cash, program,” Williams said. Under his plan, coupons purchased from local businesses would serve as a form of currency, which the homeless could exchange for hygiene kits and cups of coffee. “Compassion is imperative, but directly giving them money is just handing them a gun to shoot themselves with,” Williams added.

Panhandling is not the real issue, Williams noted, but instead a symptom of the more serious underlying problem.

“I think that currently [business owners] are angry and think that [panhandling] impacts their livelihood,” Williams said. “They don’t want to admit that there’s a homeless problem.”

... “A big piece of [the plan] is creating greater connections between police and non-profit teams,” Schneider said. “So, when police officers encounter someone who is homeless, they have a stronger connection with the homeless outreach program that can provide help for that individual.”

Other recommendations proposed by the committee involved a “Recovery Zone or Alcohol Impact Zone” on Milpas Street to enforce liquor license laws and target negative behavior through increased penalties and treatment requirements...

Labels: city of santa barbara, homelessness

“We as a community do have the responsibility for compassion,” said Councilman Das Williams, who added that panhandlers often will use money for drugs and alcohol, resulting in a kind of “slow suicide.” Williams said “compassion does not go along with handing them the gun to shoot themselves with.”

Full text at: NOOZHAWK: Council Tackles Homelessness

Labels: city of santa barbara, homelessness