A petition with nearly 1,000 signatures calls on Walsall Council to halt plans that would criminalize homelessness and penalize begging in the town.
Walsall: A council meeting is set for Tuesday night to discuss new laws about begging. This follows a petition started in December urging the council to stop criminalizing homelessness.
Leandra Gebrakedan launched the petition. She argues that Walsall Council is pushing for laws that would punish begging, which she believes unfairly targets homeless people.
Leandra expressed concern that the council is focusing on punishing the symptoms of homelessness instead of addressing the root causes. She believes the focus should be on providing better social security and housing options.
Nearly 1,000 people have signed the petition. Last year, Councillor Garry Perry promised to tackle organized begging in the town center. He wants to implement a Public Space Protection Order to make certain behaviors illegal.
In January, Leandra met with council officials. They noted that the number of rough sleepers has decreased from 26 to six since 2016, thanks to the Housing First program.
Leandra believes the council should protect rough sleepers from exploitation instead of punishing them. She stated that the focus should be on stopping organized crime targeting the homeless.
The debate will take place at the Overview Scrutiny Committee at 6 PM on Tuesday, February 4, 2025. You can view the petition online.