Anti-Homeless Tactics Around the United States
Spikes, music, jail. These are the most controversial anti-homeless tactics used around the United States.
These are not a new tactics
Over half a million people are experiencing homelessness in the U.S. according to the latest official statistics from the country. A quarter of the homeless population are children. Now, they may face jail time. While the overall number of people without housing is down across the country, some areas have declared a state of housing emergency.
These are 4 ways people experiencing homelessness in the United States are targeted in public spaces:
Hostile architecture
Spikes, impractical benches, and gates are all examples of hostile architecture that prevent people from resting. Hostile architecture is an intentional design strategy that uses elements of the built environment to guide or restrict behavior in urban space as a form of crime prevention or order maintenance.
Music
This summer, the city of West Palm Beach, Florida played "Baby Shark" at night on a loop to keep the people from sleeping at a local park. A person affected by this spoke to Fox News. The approach has drawn criticism from some homeless people and … music was one more way the city was “running the homeless out of town.
Sprinklers
In 2015, KPIX-TV revealed a San Francisco church was drenching people with sprinklers. The cathedral, at Geary and Gough, is the home church of the Archbishop. There are four tall side doors, with sheltered alcoves, that attract homeless people at night.
The church quickly apologized and removed the system.
Prison
In 2019, Las Vegas council made sleeping outside a misdemeanor if shelter beds are available. The penalty? A $1000 fine or 6 months in jail. The ordinance, which passed 5-2 after several hours of public comment, makes it a misdemeanor to rest, sleep or “lodge” in Las Vegas' downtown district and other residential areas if shelter beds are available.
Brut.
These are not a new tactics
Over half a million people are experiencing homelessness in the U.S. according to the latest official statistics from the country. A quarter of the homeless population are children. Now, they may face jail time. While the overall number of people without housing is down across the country, some areas have declared a state of housing emergency.
These are 4 ways people experiencing homelessness in the United States are targeted in public spaces:
Hostile architecture
Spikes, impractical benches, and gates are all examples of hostile architecture that prevent people from resting. Hostile architecture is an intentional design strategy that uses elements of the built environment to guide or restrict behavior in urban space as a form of crime prevention or order maintenance.
Music
This summer, the city of West Palm Beach, Florida played "Baby Shark" at night on a loop to keep the people from sleeping at a local park. A person affected by this spoke to Fox News. The approach has drawn criticism from some homeless people and … music was one more way the city was “running the homeless out of town.
Sprinklers
In 2015, KPIX-TV revealed a San Francisco church was drenching people with sprinklers. The cathedral, at Geary and Gough, is the home church of the Archbishop. There are four tall side doors, with sheltered alcoves, that attract homeless people at night.
The church quickly apologized and removed the system.
Prison
In 2019, Las Vegas council made sleeping outside a misdemeanor if shelter beds are available. The penalty? A $1000 fine or 6 months in jail. The ordinance, which passed 5-2 after several hours of public comment, makes it a misdemeanor to rest, sleep or “lodge” in Las Vegas' downtown district and other residential areas if shelter beds are available.
Brut.