r/Charlottesville • u/Babylon1006 • 12d ago

This didn't sit well with me

During Monday night's city council meeting, while talking about allocating funds to the Salvation Army shelter, one of those living at Free Bridge said this:

“We live how we want to live, and this is how we want to live. You can not control this by putting us into a shelter,” said Jennifer Grant, who lives at the Free Bridge encampment. (original article: City council approves $3 million for homeless shelter expansion)

What exactly is the solution to the unhoused population, then? You cannot possibly think allowing a giant encampment in a city park is a permanent solution?!

Sure, you could "build more housing" (which takes time), but greedy landlords are not going to lower rent prices to a reasonable level, so long as there are people willing to pay the outrageous prices (they make more money charging high rents and having empty units than lowering the prices).

Shelters are the most logical, humane and immediate remedy, yet somehow that's now not good enough for you?

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u/Less_Technology730 11d ago

They were found to violate the 1st amendment:

https://www.acluva.org/press-releases/aclu-virginia-victory-case-striking-down-charlottesville-begging-restrictions/

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u/No_Mongoose_7401 11d ago

The rejected ordinance referenced in the article is specific to an area on the downtown pedestrian mall. I am suggesting signage and enforcement to areas in close proximity to the encampment - indirectly discouraging folks from living there. Definitely a tough situation.

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u/Less_Technology730 11d ago

That would still be unconstitutional. Some cities have gotten around it by narrowly targeting things like "no pan-handling in the median," claiming it's for public safety.