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Publicly feeding the homeless is banned in Philly, too

Ft. Lauderdale isn’t the only city that bans feeding homeless individuals in public — Philadelphia is one of them.

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Social media is buzzing with the news of a Ft. Lauderdale arrest of 90-year-old Arnold Abbott. His crime? Feeding the homeless.

But Ft. Lauderdale isn’t the only city that bans feeding homeless individuals in public. Thirty-three cities across the U.S. have similar policies, according to the National Coalition for the Homeless. Philadelphia is one of those cities.

When the law was passed back in 2012, supporters argued that banning street feeding was a way to ensure that people were fed in a clean, safe environment indoors where they would have access to additional health and wellness services. However, critics argue that charities may not be able to afford the space, and it shouldn’t be a crime to set up a makeshift kitchen outdoors to meet the needs of the hungry. The laws, critics maintain, are a way to push homeless individuals out of the public eye, especially in commercial and downtown districts frequented by tourists.

One Philadelphia judge agreed. In 2012, Judge William Yohn, Jr., blocked Mayor Michael Nutter’s ban on public food sharing for 120 days, after a nonprofit group sued the city. In a 50-page document, Yohn outlined his reasoning, arguing that since the city could not meet the needs of the homeless, public feeding was a public good.

The city has established a location near City Hall with running water and public toilets which the groups can use to help feed homeless individuals.

 
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