Dive Brief:
- The Fort Wayne, Indiana, City Council this week passed a measure to ban persons or organizations from relocating homeless individuals to the city without prior approval from a local shelter or service provider.
- The ordinance sanctions the unauthorized person or organization attempting to relocate unhoused individuals to the city with a fine of up to $2,500 for each day of violation.
- The city said the practice of transporting individuals experiencing homelessness is straining public resources and hampering efforts to assist the city’s local homeless residents.
Dive Insight:
U.S. cities have contended with record rates of homelessness in recent years, but the practice of relocating unhoused individuals to other jurisdictions has gone on for decades, a 2017 Guardian investigation found.
Following a 2024 Supreme Court ruling, more cities are also outlawing homeless encampments in their jurisdictions.
Fort Wayne Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Andrew Downs told WPTA 21Alive that a retired law enforcement officer from a neighboring municipality informed him that they had relocated unhoused individuals to Fort Wayne in the past.
Fort Wayne is now working to alert surrounding localities and public safety agencies of its new ordinance banning the practice.
“The intent and purpose of this ordinance is to channel available resources to assist and support local homeless residents in Fort Wayne, while encouraging and motivating other jurisdictions to provide assistance and support for homeless individuals residing in their jurisdictions rather than relocating individuals to Fort Wayne to obtain assistance and support,” the city said in a news release.
The ordinance does not sanction unhoused individuals being transported to the city, according to the release, but rather targets organizations attempting to relocate them.
