NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans City Council members have proposed an ordinance that will tighten up how the community and charities help those experiencing homelessness.
Housing advocates on the other hand say the city has their priorities completely wrong. Its an ordinance designed to crack down on how community members offer food to those experiencing homelessness.
New Orleans City Councilman Eugene Green says rats are a huge problem across the city, and handing out plates of food, which lead to leftovers are breeding grounds for rodents.
The councilman told Eyewitness News, "You can bring food at this minute, anytime that you want in a closed container, and you can also serve, but you agree to clean up afterwards, if we warn you once and you still do it, we kinda question your motivation and you could be fined.
"You can come down here at any time with closed containers and you can serve it, set up a banquet put tablecloths on it serve, but then clean up after."
He says the ordinance isn't stopping anyone from donating food, the food just needs to be served in a closed container. Meanwhile housing advocates say the root cause of the problem is the lack of affordable housing. Andreanecia Morris with HousingNOLA says the city needs to re-think their priorities.
"This is a over correction, this is criminalization when it is not required," said Morris. "Come up with real solutions, because unless you think the unhoused are a flock of geese or a pack of wild dogs that will simply go away if no one is feeding them then this is pointless."
She says the solution is education.
"There needs to be solutions that house people, that guarantee them housing and the wrap around supportive services that all of us are entitled to."
Councilman Green however says this ordinance is simply about the serving and dumping of food.
"There was never a mention that this was a priority or the priority, its one of the many things that must be done to address a serious issue."