Newspaper Page Text
Page A2
Lake Oconee News
Friday, December 22,2017
Contributed Contributed
Georgia's homeless population has decreased by 48 percent in the last 10 years. It is difficult to turn away from the sight of homeless people.
Country’s homeless population
decreasing fastest in Georgia
Dave Brown
dave@lakeoconeenews.us
Just because the sight - or
unseen examples - of home
less people affects us more
during the holiday season
with bells andkettles serving
as a back drop to scenes of
soup kitchens and sleeping
in doorways, don’t be too
dismayed.
According to recent data
released by Housing and
Urban Development, the
homeless problem in Georgia
is improving faster than
anywhere else in the country.
Georgia not only nearly
had the best one-year drop in
homelessness in 2016-17, but
also over the last 10 year s has
cut its homeless population
almost in half.
Despite those encouraging
numbers, homelessness is a
scourge on this country.
“Homelessness can make
us uncomfortable. It should,”
saidDr. Ben Carson, aretired
neurosurgeon and Secretary
of Housing and Urban
Development, in an USA
TODAY op-ed to accompany
the release of the new data.
Secretary Ben Carson
“Asmuchaswearetempted
to look away, we cannot deny
the obvious human need
when we see our neighbors,
forced by circumstance or a
disabling condition, living
on our streets and in our
shelters.”
A closer look at recently
released data reveals very
encouraging improvement
in homelessness in Georgia:
• The number of people
experiencing home
lessness declined in 30
states and the District of
Columbia between 2016
and 2017. The largest
percentage decreases
were in South Carolina
(23%), Georgia (21%), and
Louisiana (17%).
• The number of people
experiencing homeless
ness declined in 36 states
between 2007 and 2017.
The largest decreases were
in Texas (16,240 fewer
people or 41%), Florida
(15,879 people or 33%),
and Georgia (9,465 people
or 48%).
Dr. Carson said the best
way to battle homelessness
is get people off the street.
“For years, there has been
a growing mountain of data
showingthat a Housing First
approach works to reduce
not only costs to taxpay
ers but the human toll as
well. The evidence is clear:
Doing something is better
and less expensive than
doing nothing.
“That something is pri
oritizing housing. Once we
give people a stable place
to live, it becomes much
easier to provide mental and
physical health treatment,
education and j ob training—
essential rungs on the ladder
out of homelessness.”
YOU D KNOW
f 1 J - .* ■ 1 f 1
tradition matters.
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Proudly serving our community for over 70 years.
From our family to yours, Merry Christmas.
IF YOU RAN A BANK, YOU D RUN IT LIKE THIS
Banksouth.
WWW.BANKSOUTH.COMWWW.BANKSOUTHMORTGAGE.COM
Member
FDIC
A RESOLUTION TO AMEND CHAPTER 14
OF THE CITY OF GREENSBORO,
GEORGIA CODE OF ORDINANCES
Camping and Improper Use
Of Public Places
WHEREAS, the City of Greensboro desires to establish regulations regarding
camping practices within the city limits.
THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council of the City of
Greensboro as follows:
1) Section 14-51. - Camping and improper use of public places of the Code of
Ordinances shall be added and read as follows:
a) Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following terms shall be defined as
follows:
1) Camp or camping means the use of any real property that is not a structure for living
accommodation purposes such as sleeping activities, or making preparations to sleep
(including the laying down of bedding for the purpose of sleeping), or storing personal
belongings, or using a tent or other temporary structure for habitation, including any
motor vehicles. These activities constitute camping if, in light of all the circumstances,
it reasonably appears that in conducting one or more of these activities, the participant
is in fact using the area as a living accommodation, regardless of the intent of the
participant or the nature of any other activities in which he or she may also be
engaging.
2) Interference (interfere) with ingress and egress means standing, sitting, lying down,
using personal property, or performing any other activity on public property and/or
in a park, where such activity: a) materially interferes with the ingress into and egress
from buildings, driveways, streets, alleys, or any other real property that has a limited
number of entrances/exits, regardless of whether the property is owned by the city,
a private owner or another public entity; b) reasonably appears, in light of all of the
circumstances, to have the purpose of blocking ingress and egress; and c) occurs
without the express written permission of the owner of the property at issue. Where
written permission has been granted, the individuals interfering with ingress and
egress must have possession of the permission at the time of the activity in question.
b) No person shall camp within the city limits or either public or private property, unless
the person has an ownership interest in the property or has express written permission
from the owner to camp on the property or satisfies Sec. 121-96.
c) No person shall interfere with ingress or egress within the city limits.
d) No person may be arrested for violating this code section until s/he has received an
oral or written warning from the Greensboro Police Department to cease the prohibited
conduct. If the violator fails to comply with the warning issued, s/he may be arrested for
violation of this section.
(e) Where personal property is stored in violation of this ordinance, the Greensboro Police
Department may deem the property to be abandoned and may confiscate it. No warning
is required prior to the confiscation. The department shall retain the property in a
manner consistent with the handling of other confiscated property.
(f) The prohibitions set forth in this ordinance shall not apply during a City permitted
outdoor event on property where the outdoor event is located, as set forth in a city-
issued outdoor event permit, unless the permit explicitly prohibits the activity.
Homeless
Continued from A1
as police chief for 15 years
in Greensboro before being
appointed city manager in
2002.
According to Posted, the
rationale behind the new
ordinance wasn’t necessarily
because ofadramaticincrease
in homelessness in the area.
The reasoningwas more about
giving police training and
enforcement tools to address
homeless people.
“We had a few calls. Ladies
that like to walk in the city
park in the morning,” said
Posted.
“Also, they weren’t just
camping there. There were a
few tents popping up in the
woods around 1-20.
‘We needed to give police
some definedtools so they can
legally go out and get people
to move along... so they aren’t
camping out in the city park.
We wanted to tighten it up.”
The new ordinance is far
from draconian.
According to the new
ordinance, “No person shad
camp within the city limits
or either public or private
property, unless the person
has an ownership inter
est in the property or has
express written permission
from the owner to camp on
the property.”
Anybody allegedly
violating the ordinance
will first receive an oral
or written warning from
the Greensboro Police
Department.
Nobody may be arrested
for violating the ordinance
without first receiving an
oral or written warning.
If a person is arrested
for vagrancy in violation
of the ordinance, their
property may be confis
cated, but must be stored
by Greensboro “in a manner
consistentwiththehandling
of other confiscated
property.”
Posted pointed out police
are trained to contacthome-
less people with the interest
of linking them with social
service agencies.
“We want to get them to
DFACS or mental health or
with the Veterans’ Services
at the courthouse.
Law enforcement officers
have more advance training
about dealing with this
issue.
The ordinance not only
gives them legal reason to
contact people and try to
help them, but also some
enforcement options.”
NOW OPEN!Vse
Located in Magnolia Center GROWLER bar
Buy by the growler or
come in and enjoy a pint!
HOURS:
Mon-Thurs 11 am-9pm
Fri & Sat 11 am-1 Opm
Closed Christmas Eve & Day
762.220.1699
1122 Lake Oconee Pkwy
Eatonton, GA
www. 44DraftHouseGro wlerBar. com