A wealthy New Jersey city is considering a controversial ordinance that would fine or potentially jail homeless people for sleeping in public spaces.
Summit Councilman Jamel Boyer, a Republican, introduced the ordinance Tuesday at a Summit Common Council meeting, saying its purpose is to “preserve the safe and accessible use of public property for all residents, pedestrians and businesses.”
The ordinance would prohibit homeless individuals from camping in public areas such as city streets, sidewalks, alleyways, parks, bus shelters, athletic courts and benches.
Violators could face a fine of up to $2,000 “and/or imprisonment or community service for a term not to exceed ninety days,” the order says.
Boyer said the ordinance “addresses the growing concerns about obstructions and public nuisances caused by encampments while ensuring our shared spaces remain clean, safe and welcoming for the community.”
Councilmember Claire Toth, a Democrat, was the only member of the six-person council to oppose the ordinance.
“After two years of significant progress on reducing homelessness in Summit, capped by our receiving national recognition at the recent National Alliance to End Homelessness conference in Los Angeles, this moves us in the wrong direction,” she said at the meeting.
In response, Boyer said the ordinance “is not about criminalizing homelessness.”
“It’s about doing the right thing; we want to prevent homelessness, not maintain it,” he said.
Morristown introduced a similar ordinance in February but pulled it following community backlash. Morristown Mayor Timothy Dougherty said at the time that he asked the council to reconsider the motion after receiving feedback from advocacy groups and the community, NJ.com reported.
“As the county seat, Morristown is often unfortunately forced to bear a disproportionately high burden of trying to resolve challenges created by regional needs with limited local resources,” he said.
“After thoughtful reflection and listening to feedback from community members and advocates, I have asked the Council President and he has agreed to withdraw this ordinance from further consideration,” he added.
The Summit council president said the ordinance will be addressed at an April 22 hearing.
Summit, located in Union County within the New York metropolitan area, has a median household income of $199,107, according to 2023 data from Census.gov. Last year, the city established a task force to address homelessness. In a news release, the city said it was able to place 20 out of the 25 homeless individuals in stable housing.
The city’s effort to reduce the homeless population was recognized at the National Alliance to End Homelessness conference in March.
Boyer and Toth did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.
Minyvonne Burke is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News.
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