DES MOINES, Iowa — The Des Moines City Council voted to amend city code to ban camping and sleeping in public spaces at Monday night’s council meeting after about an hour of debate among council members.
The council chambers were overflow only as dozens of residents came to speak for a final time after weeks of criticizing the council. The residents booed loudly when the council approved both ordinances in a 5-2 vote.
Under one of the ordinances, anyone found in violation will face a $15 fine and a police officer will transport them to a homeless shelter. A person can avoid the fine if they cannot afford it and won’t be transported by police if there isn’t room in city shelters.
Before the vote, tensions were high among council members as they discussed potential ramifications of approving the two ordinances.
“What we are criminalizing is sleeping outdoors,” council member Josh Mandelbaum said.
“We are criminalizing camping,” mayor Connie Boesen responded.
Through one of the ordinances the city will hold on to personal property taken from encampments for at least 30 days. Weapons, drugs and stolen items will be kept by the city as evidence until an alternate disposition is determined.
“Sidewalks and parks, camping is not compatible with a safe city that we want to deliver to our neighbors,” council member Chris Coleman said.
Critics said the city needs to increase beds at shelters and expand partnerships with mental health groups to truly address the issue of homelessness.
“I think that there needs to be more research done, there needs to be more dots connected before you criminalize someone that doesn't have options for a shelter,” Des Moines resident, Jessi Keenan said.
The council also ordered the city manager to continue looking into 10 directives. Those include creating an agreement with an animal shelter to store homeless people’s pets and adding public restrooms at parking garages.
A new directive introduced at Monday night’s meeting will give a nonprofit $50,000 to establish a fund for homeless people to use on a down payment on a home or moving expenses.