PHOENIX – Phoenix City Council passed Ordinance G-7514 yesterday — replacing the widely criticized G-7467 Ordinance passed in December. The latest measure now requires healthcare providers and aid workers to seek city approval and compete for two permits per park per month to share food or provide lifesaving medical care to people in need. Failure to do so will result in being charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor — punishable by up to six months in jail and a $2,500 fine. The ordinance takes effect on June 5th.
“Enacting a complex, capped permitting system will close off lifesaving care and make an already dire situation worse. On top of clear First Amendment concerns, the ordinance criminalizes the healthcare and aid workers that are meeting with people where they are to offer essential support,” said Darrell Hill, policy director for the ACLU of Arizona. “Ordinance G-7514 jeopardizes the well-being and dignity of our community members by denying them access to vital, compassionate care. Human lives are at risk as a direct consequence of this bad policy.”
Ordinance G-7514 is the latest effort by the City of Phoenix to target service providers and healthcare workers who provide aid to people experiencing homelessness, despite extensive data showing that this type of outreach has profound positive impacts and can be transformational for those who lack access to traditional services and care.
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