Groups may soon need to register before giving food to homeless

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A proposal in front of the Indianapolis City-County Council on Monday night would require groups to register with the city government before coming downtown to feed people who are homeless.

Failure to do could cost a pretty penny. 

“Camron” is homeless and asked News 8 to blur his image. He said he spends a fair amount of time in and around University Park, just south of the War Memorial in downtown Indianapolis. He says when the food-donation vehicles show up, he leaves. The crowd and the mess are just too much for him.  

“Maybe force them to throw away the things they give away, you know, pick up after themselves,” “Camron” said.

Andrew Merkley, administrator of homelessness policy and eviction prevention from the city government’s Office of Public Safety, explained why the City-County Council is considering the registration of groups that feed people who are homeless. “The council came to OPHS concerned about some recent incidents that we were seeing at unsanctioned distribution sites, and they were looking for ways to curb issues we have seen at that site.”

Issues have included piles of trash left behind after donation events.

In May during a food-donation event at University Park, a woman was stabbed to death in broad daylight.

University Park is technically owned by the state government. The area most often used to feed the homeless is fenced off, and a dumpster is the place to combat the litter.

Under the proposed city ordinance, donations would be allowed in public spaces as long as the city is notified.   

Markley said, “Council wanted to give the ordinance a little bit more teeth and, with that, there is a ciliation that is added in the current language and some fines that could be associated for those that don’t register.”

Fines would start at $250 for a first offense, and $500 for a second one. The Office of Public Health and Safety has already put the registration form on its website, and there is no cost to register. There are several restrictions; for example, no home-cooked meals, and groups must follow some basic food-safety preparation procedures.

A few groups have called the proposed ordinance an unnecessary hurdle, but Merkley said, “This is just for us to have general knowledge of who is serving when and what they seem to understand as long as it is not prohibiting people from doing that important engagement. … There hasn’t been a lot of push back so far.”

The council was to hear the proposal for the first time on Monday night.