Where do you want them to go?

by Kyle Lambelet

Nov. 8, 2007

Every Friday morning my partner Nicole and I roll out of bed at 4:45 so that we can make it to the BCC’s Homeless Hospitality House by 5:00 to begin cooking hot grits in preparation for breakfast and to open up the house for warm showers. A couple of Friday’s ago, I was dismayed to hear of yet another way for the police to legitimately harass the folks who have so few places to go.

Recently the City of Greensboro passed a new ordinance stating: “It shall be unlawful for any person to occupy the streets or sidewalks of the city in such a way as to obstruct or interfere with the free passage into or out of any public business, sidewalk, or private property.” Taken on the face of it, such a law makes sense. As someone who often bikes and walks to get to where I’m going I’m glad that the sidewalks and streets are generally clear so I can get to where I need to be going. The change of note, however, is that, “the new ordinance…does not require a warning and applies to all city sidewalks regardless of their location,” this according to G. A. Holder a Captain with the Greensboro Police Department (read a notice from the GPD by clicking here). Thus, the GPD may arrest you without warning if you stand or sit on the sidewalk anywhere within Greensboro’s city limits.

This new ordinance has placed yet another burden on the already beleaguered homeless community. Andre Young, a homeless neighbor, commented, “They’re passing a new ordinance everyday!” It is deeply troubling that our city seems to be fine with expanding, without reservation, the power of the police to push and push and push people who have few places to just be.

One of the areas that has drawn significant attention from the Police is the “catch out corner” at Lee and Eugene street. Young noted, “That’s where folks know that they can catch out for work.” This is one place where people are able to get a day of work without strings attached. Undoubtedly the corner has its problems: there is regular worker abuse, little accountability, and it hardly provides an environment for supportive community to emerge. Still, it seems of all places to employ a measure of restorative, rather than punitive, justice this would be one. Here are people trying to get a day’s work and they are punished for standing on the sidewalk.

Terry Speed, the coordinator of the Hospitality House, said, “If people are homeless, where do you want them to go? It’s like they want them to disappear.” She went onto say, “If they keep going to jail, they keep getting fines that they can’t pay. If they keep getting fines they can’t pay, they end of going to prison. It is truly unreal.” And all that just for occupying the sidewalk.

Terry’s question hits the nail on the head, “where do we want them to go?” Our neighbors who aren’t able, for a myriad of reasons, to find a house to stay in are not allowed on our sidewalks, not on our streets, not in our businesses or restaurants, not in our churches, and certainly not in our homes.

I’m thankful that tomorrow when I wake up and go to the Hospitality House I will know at least one place where our homeless neighbors can find refuge, however limited it may be.

Still, Terry’s question needs to be put to all of us who live in this community: Where do you want them to go?

Email this article to a friend | Print this page