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Residents and advocates urge council to reconsider expansion of downtown civility ordinance, warn it could criminalize unhoused people
Summary
Multiple speakers warned that the proposed expansion of the downtown civility ordinance — including bans on sitting, lying and leaving personal property on sidewalks — would criminalize unhoused people and asked the council to invest in housing and wraparound services instead.
A string of public commenters on Tuesday urged Houston’s City Council not to expand the downtown civility ordinance in ways that would ban sitting or lying and would penalize people for having personal items on sidewalks.
Speakers including Alex Grandstaff, Richard Rogers and Neil Aquino said the expanded rules would criminalize people experiencing homelessness, harm people with disabilities and others already at…
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