Zoning Out the Homeless
by Tony Chavira
Change.org has an article that straightforwardly shows the ultimate outcome of many existing restrictive zoning laws. When you decided that section one section of the city will be exclusively A while another will be exclusively B, you've created an uneven relationship between who spaces that could depend on each other (or better yet, could be integrated and interdependent). Such is the case in Phoenix, CO when a judge simply did his job and followed the rules to the letter:
A church in Phoenix has lost a court battle to run a charity dining hall for the city's homeless. The problem is, the court's ruling sets a precedent for all churches zoned in residential areas of Phoenix. While the ruling raises larger issues about the concentration of the homeless in cities, the immediate concern is the challenges the city's homeless may face finding a meal in the coming weeks.
The controversy surrounding the Crossroads United Methodist Church's weekly pancake breakfast began last spring when neighbors complained about an increase in the number of homeless people in the neighborhood. With the increase in homeless individuals in the area came an uptick in their undesirable behaviors, including "panhandling, burglary, public intoxication and vandalism, among other things," according to AZ Family.
The judge's ruling is harsh at first glance, but it's important to consider the perspective of the church's neighbors. Just as any homeless person should have a right to safe, decent, and affordable housing, the neighbors of Crossroads United Methodist Church have a right to feel safe in their home. Still, this ruling seems to be a strategic interpretation of residential zoning laws designed to control the homeless population. Restricting services from residential areas will keep "unsightly" homeless people out of certain parts of the city and concentrate them in others. And you know what they say: out of sight, out of mind.
Check out the video on AZ Family. This might not be as much of a problem is the neighborhood zoning laws weren't so aimed at promoting the cycle of residential sprawl. But, you know... out of sight.
Out of mind.
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