To increase outreach efforts to Baton Rouge’s homeless residents, Mayor Sharon Weston Broome’s office has inked an agreement with the Louisiana Housing Corporation’s Continuum of Care that includes the mayor’s office and Baton Rouge Police Department sending personnel to known encampment areas.
The memorandum of understanding—consisting of bi-weekly outreach efforts targeting people experiencing homelessness and offering them supportive services intended to transition them to a more permanent living situation—marks the first step toward solving Baton Rouge’s rising homeless population, says Broome.
“This effort shows our commitment to face this challenge with compassion while taking steps to keep Baton Rouge a vibrant and safe community,” Broome says in a prepared statement. “We must address the root causes of homelessness in order to help our less fortunate neighbors who often live in unsafe and unhealthy conditions.”
It also comes amid growing frustration about aggressive panhandling across Baton Rouge, particularly from downtown business owners.
The topic dominated a recent webinar hosted by Lead Homelessness, which recommended best practices for the various local governments listening in—including Baton Rouge—that want to curb aggressive panhandling tactics when managing public spaces in a “compassionate and common-sense manner.”
Among key recommendations (and what Baton Rouge is exploring):
• Understand who is on your streets. Are they homeless? How long have they been homeless? Are they escaping domestic violence situations?
• Enact ordinances that help to manage public spaces. With communities across the U.S. facing “tent city” issues, Baton Rouge is working with the Downtown Development District to strengthen its current ordinances related to public space management, aggressive panhandling, disorderly conduct and “sit and lie” policies.
• Stay focused on long-term solutions, such as supportive housing and shelter space. As part of the Housing 1st Alliance, Baton Rouge is focused on transitioning to an affordable housing strategy while also giving St. Vincent de Paul a $1 million grant to construct a 36-bed shelter, among other ongoing projects.
• All players need to be at the table—including nonprofit providers, shelters, developers, the Bridge Center, EmployBR and others. EmployBR is partnering with the East Baton Rouge Parish River Center Library, under the direction of Mary Stein, to conduct a pilot information session educating homeless or unemployed library patrons about available resources. Meanwhile, a collaboration of faith-based ministries and community providers will conduct outreach on a routine basis with local churches who are serving the homeless to spread the word to eradicate panhandling.
