Council To Consider Reducing Restrictions Hitting the Homeless

The New Britain City Council’s Democratic majority members are proposing changes to city ordinances that have onerous impact on the homeless in the city.

Homelessness, together with the high cost of housing, have been growing concerns, with rent and housing costs becoming unaffordable for many people.

Ward 2 Council member, Ald. Lori McAdam (D-2), has submitted an official Council petition, a process by which a Council member may require a city department to report back to the Council. The petition calls,

for the appropriate department(s) to provide detailed information on the amount of tickets distributed and arrests made relating to general penalty fines, loitering and panhandling within the past three years.

The petition is on the agenda of the upcoming Council meeting, together with two related ordinance proposals.

One proposal would create a new clarifying exception to the city’s prohibition on loitering. The change would say that,

Nothing in this article shall be construed to prohibit individuals to sit, stand, eat, consume non-alcoholic beverages, sleep, converse, pray and/or read in public places, parks and sidewalks.

Concerns have been expressed that the city has used the rules against loitering in a way that has the effect of pushing homeless residents from public parks, such as New Britain’s downtown Central Park.

Another proposal would reduce the fine for violations of the city’s general prohibition on panhandling. Present ordinances place $99 fine for panhandling. The proposal would change this to, $10 for a first offense, $15 for a second and $20 for additional offenses.

The proposals are on the agenda of the February 28, 2024 Council meeting. Ordinance proposals, after first being proposed, are referred to a Council committee, where a hearing on them would likely occur in early March.