GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — At a Tuesday night meeting, Grand Rapids city leaders responded to a letter from the Chamber of Commerce. The letter was signed by more than 100 business owners and community members concerned for the health and safety of everyone downtown.
They're pushing for the adoption of an ordinance to ban aggressive panhandling and more.
During public comment at the meeting, several business owners and employees expressed their concerns about interactions with the unhoused community downtown.
Multiple community members and city leaders argued that the proposed ordinance wouldn't solve anything and it could potentially do harm.
In the letter to the city, business leaders requested several things from a proposed ordinance. It would prohibit sitting or lying in specific public spaces if there's adequate shelter space available to those in need, prohibit aggressive solicitation, harassment and intimidation, and lastly, it would define where solicitation is allowed.
The letter goes on to say that the business community wants to improve outcomes for people experiencing homelessness, substance abuse and mental health issues.
As people supported this ordinance and shared their stories about experiences working downtown, others disagreed completely. Several people, both residents and those in the business community, say it could criminalize poverty and homelessness.
"There hasn't been a day that has gone by where we haven't experienced, in the last year and a half, that we haven't an experienced a challenging, dangerous situation from an unhoused individual," Nicholas, a downtown business employee, says.
"On my street, you have to be prepared to clean up after people who have defecated in your doorway," Jim, a downtown business owner, says. "It means you regularly need to clean up after people who have urinated in your doorway."
"I'm hearing a lot of complaints about defecation and urination in the streets," Carrie, a Grand Rapids resident, says. "You know what would make that better? Having more than one public restroom available for all of the unhoused people that are downtown."
"They are trying to pass an ordinance in order to criminalize poverty," Donny, a Grand Rapids resident says. "If we want the problems or complications that come from poverty to stop, then start actually giving out resources that are beneficial and not just superficial."
After public comment, there was a consensus among the city commission that there are already ordinances on the books that address some of these things. There was agreement among them that the language of the proposal in the letter is not something they entirely agree with.
Further discussion on this topic is being added to the agenda of the city's public safety committee meeting next Tuesday afternoon. From there, recommendations could be sent to the committee of the whole at a later date. It does not appear that a vote on this is imminent.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.