Des Moines City Council is attempting to criminalize homelessness by instituting $50 fines to anyone found sleeping outside and shortening the notice given prior to destroying camps.
Upcoming meetings
Monday, September 16th
DSM City Council Meeting
5:00pm at City Hall 400 Robert D. Ray Dr. Des Moines
City Council has indicated that they intend to conduct their third and final vote on the ordinances during this meeting. If the ordinances pass, they become part of city law.
City Council Members in Support of the Proposals
Connie Boesen - Mayor
connieboesen@dmgov.org 515.283.4944 515.240.7929
Carl Voss - At Large
carlvoss@dmgov.org 515.210.0237
Mike Simonson - At Large
mikesimonson@dmgov.org 515.238.0874
Chris Coleman - Ward 1
chriscoleman@dmgov.org 515.202.8845
Linda Westergaard - Ward 2
Joe Gatto - Ward 4
joegatto@dmgov.org 515.402.2626
Scott Sanders - City Manager who wrote the proposals
What others are saying
Open letter from ACLU of Iowa to Des Moines City Council
“Punishing homeless people with fines for sleeping is ineffective and inhumane. It only prolongs people’s homelessness. Issuing fines that unhoused people couldn’t possibly afford, or “removing” them1 for sleeping outside when they have nowhere else to go is cruel. It runs afoul of basic human dignity. It does not help homeless persons get access to the resources they need to find housing and will only raise further barriers to housing by criminalizing and fining persons for simply sleeping in public. While homelessness is a real issue in Des Moines, simply trying to remove people from public view is not the solution.”
Letter from the Des Moines Register Editorial Board
“After voting down a transitional housing project, the City Council should forget about fining homeless residents and tell us how they can find places to live.”