The city of Wichita is drafting two new anti-camping ordinances in response to a U.S. Supreme Court decision that held local governments can impose civil and criminal penalties on homeless people for camping on public land — even if the city doesn’t have enough shelter space to house those people. City Manager Robert Layton said last week that the City Council has called for changes so Wichita can be “more aggressive” at policing homeless camps on public property. While the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development considers Wichita one of the most affordable metro areas in the nation, the number of unsheltered homeless people in Wichita is increasing, with a 25% increase in the past year alone, amid rising rents, an affordable housing shortage and historically high housing and utility costs.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
