Photo: Chaiel Schaffel/WBZ NewsRadio
BROCKTON, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — The City of Brockton has passed new loitering and camping bylaws.
Said bylaws would fine people $200 for illegal camping and $50 for loitering.
Local homeless providers are adamantly against this legislation, as CEO of Father Bill's and MainSpring John Yazwinsky made very clear.
Father Bill's and MainSpring is a housing resource center in Brockton that are actively working to help those most affected by the legislation.
John feels that these fines will only force those experiencing homelessness to scatter away from the shelters that are working to house them.
The work of the shelter can now possibly be stopped by law enforcement picking these people up for breaking the bylaw.
"This will not end homelessness, in the appropriate way, this will just move the problem," said Yazwinsky.
He also mentioned how the act of fining these people actively works against the process of getting out of homeless status.
"If we are going to fine people who are homeless," he said, "that can then be a barrier for them to get into housing."
Yazwinsky said that he wanted the city to hold off on passing the bylaws, as Father Bill's is opening a new 24/7 shelter in February 2025 that could solve many of these issues.
"We need more supportive housing here in the city of Brockton and in all of our communities," he added
As it stands, John wanted to make it clear that the people that will be impacted the most by this aren't even those the city is concerned about in the first place.
"We are seeing many families outside, so now are we going to be fining and criminalizing family homelessness?" said Yazwinsky. "We have veterans that are living outside, are we gonna be arresting and criminalizing our veterans?"
City Councilor Jefferey Thompson, a supporter of the legislation, released a statement saying that these bylaws were directed at those who disrupt the city, through intoxication and aggressive acts and that he will continue to listen to his constituents on the matter.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Chaiel Schaffel (@CSchaffelWBZ) reports.
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