Orangeburg city leaders table ordinance to fine the homeless
ORANGEBURG, S.C. - A coalition is forming in Orangeburg to address a growing homelessness issue after the City Council proposed an ordinance that would make it illegal to sleep or live in public places in the downtown area.
The urban camping ordinance would’ve made it illegal for the homeless to live on streets or in parks.
The city tabled the ordinance after key stakeholders in the community said they can find a better way to address homelessness.
“We’re only a 40-bed facility. We can only house 40 residents, and we stay full,” said Henry Miller, director of the Samaritan House of Orangeburg County.
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It’s the only shelter from Charleston to Orangeburg.
“You can see Orangeburg grow, but as the city grows, the homeless population grows,” he explained.
Miller said since the shelter reopened back in August 2020 they’ve housed more 400 people, but in the last two months they’ve had to turn more than 120 people away. Leaving those people with no where to turn but places like sidewalks and other public places.
“It was never meant to be punitive or punish people for being homeless. That’s just not who we are as a community,” City Sidney Evering said.
City Sydney Evering is referring to the Urban Camping ordinance. It was proposed after city leaders received numerous complaints from residents about the growing number of homeless living on the streets of downtown.
“Sometime ago, the city repealed its loitering ordinance,” he said. “So, there was really no statutory way to address it.”
The Urban Camping ordinance would’ve given law enforcement the authority to fine and take other action against homeless found living in public spaces.
“Think about this. If you’re homeless, you don’t have money to pay a fine and if you incarcerate them, now you’re going to overfill the jail. So it’s more to it than that. That’s why this coalition and bring all of these key agencies together to talk about what we as a community can do to address homelessness,” said Miller.
“No it’s hurting. If you homeless, you homeless,” said one man currently living on the streets of downtown Orangeburg. “So, I can go to jail and let y’all take care of me or you can let me sleep in the park,” he continued.
This man didn’t want to give his name but said he’s been living on the streets of downtown Orangeburg for three weeks now.
“I work. If it’s cold and raining, you can’t sleep under a structure, you don’t have no choice but to sleep in a motel,” he said. “So if I get a motel, get something to eat, that’s your day’s wage right there. You can’t save up to get off your feet.”
The coalition is set to meet Oct. 24 to begin discussions on combatting homelessness in the city.
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