Guardian - In the US, 21 cities have managed to pass legislation banning or restricting organizations from sharing food with homeless populations in public places since January 2013 alone, according to a recent report by the National Coalition for the Homeless.
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Make that 22 cities: Since that report was published, Fort Lauderdale, Florida passed an ordinance that effectively makes it impossible for charity groups to keep serving food to homeless populations outdoors and in parks.
The new rules, ostensibly to protect those getting the food from any illnesses from poorly prepared foods, require charity groups that distribute food to comply with the same standards of a restaurant dishing up meals for tourists visiting Fort Lauderdale’s beaches. That doesn’t just mean wearing gloves; it includes providing toilets and an array of specific equipment.
What could be the motivation? As commissioners acknowledged in the ordinance, “the City of Fort Lauderdale has a substantial interest in the revitalization, preservation of property values and the prevention of the deterioration in its downtown.”
And feeding the homeless – which destroys the visual impression of a booming downtown – kind of wrecks that image.
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