Hundreds back call to halt a Black Country council from 'criminalising homelessness'
Legislation around town centre beggars is set to be debated at a council meeting in the Black Country on Tuesday night (February 4).
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It follows a petition launched in December which called on Walsall Council to ‘halt its attempt to criminalise homelessness’ in the town.
The petition, launched by Leandra Gebrakedan states: “Walsall Council is currently advocating for laws that would legally penalise begging, essentially criminalising homelessness in our town of Walsall.
“It’s alarming that our elected representation is focusing on punishing the symptoms of a social crisis, rather than addressing its root causes. Instead of alienating them, we should be working towards providing them with better social security, affordable housing, and job opportunities.”
The petition is now signed by nearly 1000 people.
Last year councillor Garry Perry, leader of Walsall Council, promised to tackle the surge of ‘organised criminal gangs’ of beggars in the town centre. He hoped to get a Public Space Protection Order in place, making any antisocial behaviour within that designated zone a criminal offence.
A meeting was held between Leandra and senior officers at the council in January. It was heard that the number of rough sleepers had dropped from 26 to six since 2016 due to the Housing First programme delivered by WHG.
Following the meeting, Leandra said that the council should put its efforts into protecting any rough sleepers from exploitation. She said: “The focus should be on stopping organised criminals from targeting the homeless.”
The debate will be heard at the Overview Scrutiny Committee which is scheduled to take place at 6pm, Tuesday February 4, 2025. To view the petition, click here.
