America's 10 Meanest Cities

I admit that reading a ranking of the nation's Top 10 "meanest" cities in regard to the homeless population won't put a smile on your face. In fact, it will likely evoke some contrary emotion. But the fact of the matter is, the truth isn't always pretty, and there are some things we simply can't ignore. 

The National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty recently published a report, Homes Not Handcuffs, which tracks the growing trend of the criminalization of homelessness in U.S. cities. Lawmakers across the nation are turning life necessities such as sleeping, eating and even sitting illegal if conducted in public. At the risk of sounding flip, that should solve the problem.

In the words of Steven Colbert, the following cities should consider themselves "on notice":1.    Los Angeles, Calif.2.    St. Petersburg, Fla.3.    Orlando, Fla.4.    Atlanta, Ga.5.    Gainesville, Fla.6.    Kalamazoo, Mich.7.    San Francisco, Calif.8.    Honolulu, Hawaii9.    Bradenton, Fla.10.  Berkeley, Calif.

On a more positive note, let's review some more constructive alternatives to helping people off the streets. According to the report, instead of restricting food sharing, cities like Columbus, Ohio, are finding better solutions to feeding the homeless. The City partnered with the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless to create a more effective food sharing system, eliminating same-day duplicate efforts by different groups and establishing a location accessible to a greater population.

A program in Portland called, A Key Not a Card, enables outreach workers to provide immediate shelter solutions to people living on the street. Ideally, long-term temporary housing will allow people time and support to secure the necessities for permanent housing, such as employment or public assistance benefits.

And the Downtown Street Team of Daytona Beach offers immediate employment and housing as an alternative to panhandling and street living. The program requires the homeless individual to participate in an application and interview process, which upon completion, provides them not only with a job, but also housing at the Salvation Army until a more permanent situation can be secured.

The journey toward ending homelessness and poverty is littered with roadblocks, and while the issue shows no sign of disappearing overnight, the solution certainly does not lie in criminalizing the simple human activities that accompany life — anywhere — even on the streets.

Photo courtesy of Cliff Johnson via Flickr.