Since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled cities can effectively outlaw homeless encampments, will New Orleans take more aggressive steps to remove the homeless from the streets of the Crescent City? One councilmember says just because they can, it does not mean they will.
New Orleans does have laws prohibiting people from leaving personal effects on public rights-of-way, like sidewalks.
"So people can be cited for having tents and grills and bicycles and things like that on a public right-of-way," said New Orleans City Councilmember for District B Lesli Harris.
Harris said the city must be smart about enforcement. She says it would be a mistake to fill the jail with homeless people, and the better method is to do the hard work to move people out of tent cities and into real housing.
"We've now decommissioned six encampments, housed 150 people, and we will continue to do that work," she said.
