On Monday, New Orleans city officials announced $30 million in new federal funding to reduce homelessness. According to one advocate for the homeless, that money will indirectly reduce crime in the city.
"The $15 million that we got from the federal government is going to provide enough resources to permanently house and provide supportive services to 420 people," UNITY New Orleans Executive Director Martha Kegel told WWL's Tommy Tucker, noting that that figure represents the vast majority of the city's homeless population.
She says getting those people in proper homes will cut down the number of crimes committed by--and against--the unhoused.
"Any expert on homelessness or any expert on crime can tell you that the homeless population are the victimized rather than the victimizers," Kegel said. "We have a client who recently was severely beaten because he was homeless. There have always been drug dealers and shysters preying on homeless people, selling opioids to vulnerable people, raping women who are homeless, (or) stealing people's IDs.
"The typical charges against unhoused people are the crimes of being homeless, like obstructing the sidewalk, public urination, trespassing on public property."
Jefferson Parish is also dealing with a homelessness problem of its own.
Parish councilman Ricky Templet says the parish has a process to eliminate homeless encampments as they're discovered.
"The illegal structures or encampments get a notice of having to vacate, and they have 72 hours to do so, and after those 72 hours, the facility or the illegal structure is removed," Template told Tucker.
Templet says at the same time, the parish provides services to unhoused persons who need them and want them.
"This is an attempt here to make sure we make our residents here in Jefferson Parish feel safe and the quality of life is not affected, at the same time being compassionate and helping the individuals who need some services," Template said. "Naturally, people want to make sure that you're protecting the quality of life, their safety."
