Monday, members of the New Orleans City Council will discuss the problem of hundreds of homeless and their encampments in the city -- and the health and sanitation challenges they pose.
Councilmember Eugene Green says there need to be restrictions on people just leaving food out for the homeless, and that's what his ordinance looks to do.
"It's not going to stop anyone from feeding someone who is homeless," explained Green. "If you bring the food around, you have to clean up, also."
Green's ordinance would require food brought to the homeless to be enclosed in containers, and the people who bring are responsible for making sure it is cleaned up.
"Part of the problem we have is you leave the food on a table and it doesn't get utilized, it just stays there," and Green says that creates serious health issues. "The rat infestation and the filth that's caused by food that is left over is a grave concern."
Green says his constituents ask all the time for something to be done.
"They deserve the concern of the City Council, and we are addressing some of those concerns, even though, to them , it's at a snail's pace, but at the end of the day, we have constitutional concerns but also human concerns to consider," said Green.
The council's Quality of Life committee meets Monday afternoon at 1 p.m.
