Omaha City Council members voted down an ordinance Tuesday that sought to ban homeless encampments on city property.
The decision sets a clear course of action in a months-long discussion on how to address a rise in homeless encampments across the city.
Introduced by Councilman Brinker Harding, the ordinance as originally drafted would have required that police or first responders give people living in encampments the option of moving to a shelter before issuing a citation or making an arrest. Any person found guilty of violating the ordinance could face a fine up to $300, 30 days in jail, or both.
An amendment to the proposal added a diversion program intended to keep the citations from escalating to jail time. Despite the change being widely supported by council members, the ordinance was voted down two to five.
“I introduced this because I do care about others,” Harding said before the vote. “Not only do I care about the people that are in these situations, but I also care about the people who live around these situations.”
A recent increase in encampments prompted hundreds of complaints to the mayor’s hotline over the summer and sparked public debate among law enforcement and civic leaders. There were conflicting ideas on how to move forward.
Mayor John Ewing presented an alternative path to Harding’s ordinance. Alongside the nonprofit Threshold Continuum of Care, he announced a pilot program meant to connect homeless individuals directly with several local agencies that provide emergency shelter, mental health resources and long-term housing. Encampment residents would be notified seven to 10 days before their removal.
Ewing labeled Harding’s proposal as too costly and a drain on the Omaha Police Department, which is experiencing a shortage of officers. He noted that housing someone in jail costs about $170 per day and can contribute to the cycle of homelessness.
Last month, an hours-long public meeting brought tears and frustration as dozens of Omaha residents voiced their thoughts on the proposed ordinance. A majority of those who spoke expressed concerns and frustration over the city’s suggested “criminalization” of homelessness.
Ewing’s Chief of Staff Tom Warren read a statement from the mayor during Tuesday’s council meeting that reaffirmed his opposition to Harding’s ordinance.
“It is our opinion that this proposed ordinance would criminalize homelessness, and quite frankly, the criminal citation would lead to a physical arrest,” Warren read.
The city will look to Threshold Continuum of Care to lead the pilot program, which was largely created by Jason Feldhaus, executive director of Threshold.
“If we were moving forward today without the mayor’s proposed plan, I’d be voting for this,” said Councilman Ron Hug, one of multiple council members to vocally support Harding’s proposal, but who chose to let the mayor’s planned pilot program get off the ground before passing the ordinance.
“As much as I’d love to support this, I think it’s more prudent to let the mayor’s plan run its course,” Hug said.