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Fort Wayne council approves ordinance banning relocation of homeless people without an arranged shelter plan
Summary
On March 24, 2026 the Fort Wayne Common Council passed ordinances that prohibit bringing homeless individuals from other communities and dropping them off without arrangements for fixed nighttime residence, adding a penalty to the municipal code and creating several exceptions; the measures passed unanimously.
The Fort Wayne Common Council voted to adopt two related ordinances on March 24 that bar transporting homeless people from other communities into Fort Wayne and leaving them without a clear plan for shelter, and that add a new penalty to the city’s ordinance violations schedule.
Andrew Downs, chief of staff to Mayor Tom Tucker, told the council the main bill is modeled on an ordinance from Joplin, Missouri and “basically says that you are prohibited from bringing a homeless person from another community to Fort Wayne and dropping them off without some clear plan for, quote, fixed regular and adequate nighttime residences.” He said the measure includes…
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