Houston's Anti-Homeless Civility Ordinance Set to Expand

On Monday May 8, The Houston City Council's Committee on Homeland Security and Public Saftey met about expanding the Civility Ordinance (other media coverage: 1, 2) to new neighborhoods. These ordinances (past coverage: 1, 2) prohibit people from sitting or lying on sidewalks between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m, and "aggressive panhandling." Currently they are in effect downtown and midtown, and may be on the verge of expanding into Avondale, Hyde Park, and Old Sixth Ward.

In the session on Tuesday May 9, the opening prayer was dedicated to the homeless, and Randall Kallinen, the President of the Houston ACLU, and Nick Cooper spoke out against the ordinance.

For more information on the war against homelessness, see the National Coalition for the Homeless website.