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Evansville council member condemns state bill criminalizing homelessness, urges local investment in housing and services
Summary
A council member used Monday’s meeting to criticize the state legislature’s approval of SB 197, calling the move a criminalization of homelessness and urging Evansville to prioritize housing, shelter and supportive services rather than incarceration.
A member of the Evansville Common Council on Monday strongly criticized the state legislature’s passage of SB 197 — described at the meeting as a criminalization of homelessness — and urged the city to pursue investments in housing, shelter capacity and supportive services instead of punitive measures.
The council member said the bill had been approved in the state House by a 52–40 vote and described the outcome as a “travesty,” arguing that incarceration is costlier and less effective than housing and service models. The speaker told the council that local agencies and the city already manage a high number of unhoused and high‑needs individuals on any given night and described…
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