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Council To Vote On Limits For St. Pete Homeless

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By CARLOS MONCADA | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 24, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - The city council is set tonight to take public comment and final action on a pair of ordinances that would place further restrictions on homeless people.

One measure would ban anyone from sleeping, lying or reclining on sidewalks and other public rights of way during daylight hours.

The other would prohibit people from storing their personal items outdoors on private and public property, such as the large piles of clothing and other belongings that appeared recently outside city hall. Some homeless also have taken to sleeping outside the building at night.

The city is proposing putting storage containers outside two of St. Petersburg's largest homeless shelters, the Salvation Army and St. Vincent De Paul. Homeless people would be able to bring or pick up their belongings at the two sites, which would be guarded by security personnel at the city's expense.

Several downtown business owners tired of homeless people hanging around their properties have voiced support for the proposed restrictions. Homeless advocates oppose them as targeting of the city's neediest people.

The council, which gave preliminary approval to the ordinances Jan. 10, is set to take a final vote after holding a public hearing scheduled for 6 p.m.

Reporter Carlos Moncada can be reached at cmoncada@tampatrib.com or (727) 451-2333.

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