Mayor Goodman and City Council Members,

Ticketing and arresting people for not having a home is shameful and ineffective policy. Criminalizing people who are homeless creates additional barriers for them to get off the streets and increases public costs. I urge you to withdrawal Bill 2019-36 from consideration and focus the city’s efforts on the real solutions, such as:

• Building and preserving Affordable Housing. Las Vegas has the greatest shortage of affordable housing for extremely
        low-income renters in the entire nation.
• Increasing the supply of Permanent Supportive Housing, a proven intervention, that provides housing and wrap-around
        services such as mental health and addiction services.  
• Increase funding for other proven strategies including (not limited to); rapid re-housing, housing-focused emergency
        shelter, and diversion so we can prevent people from experiencing homelessness when possible; or help them find
        affordable, stable, housing quickly.

Homelessness is not a crime. This is a public health crisis. This is a housing crisis. But it is not a criminal crisis.

Stop Bill 2019-36 now.