A few weeks ago, the Des Moines City Council chose stigmatization over compassion. Under a new ordinance, city residents experiencing homelessness will now face fines for camping on public property, among other discriminatory measures. 

Before I argue further, I’ll note that I volunteer with Des Moines residents experiencing homelessness about three days each week. While volunteering, I’ve heard this population describe their day-to-day struggles, but my window of observation still only represents a fraction of their experiences. I’ll never forget what a 72-year-old gentleman told me during one of my shifts: “Nobody in their right mind would choose to be homeless.” Indeed, both the shelters and the streets are no place for human beings. 

According to data from Homeward,  a local homelessness advocacy nonprofit, 715 people were experiencing homelessness in Polk County in January, but the last few months of warmer weather mean that number has likely risen. 

 Council members who supported the ordinance (in other words, every member other than Ward 3 Councilmember Josh Mandelbaum and At-Large Councilman Mike Simonson) argued it would encourage Des Moines residents experiencing homelessness to take advantage of existing shelter services. Though possibly well-intentioned, their arguments ignore reality: Des Moines’ shelters are already overcrowded and understaffed. 

One man I’ve volunteered with shared stories of shelter staff mistreating guests, and many others have reported having their belongings stolen. In January, Central Iowa Shelter & Services provided shelter twice to 304 Iowans – over twice its max capacity, and a Des Moines Register investigation found that shelter conditions reminded multiple Iowans of being in prison. Why should people use shelters that, at best, will shove them into crowded rooms and, at worst, mistreat them and their belongings? 

Notably, Des Moines made no attempt to increase available shelter capacity before passing the ordinance, and the nearest plans to improve this figure are years out. Rather than solving the root of the problems — unaffordable housing and poor shelter conditions — this ordinance targets people already experiencing some of the worst living conditions in the country. 

The ordinance forces those caught sleeping on public property to shoulder a $15 fine. For many Des Moines residents experiencing homelessness, $15 can mean the difference between being sheltered and unsheltered. (Bethel Mission, a shelter about five minutes from Drake, charges guests $5 per night after their 50th night.) Other times, $15 determines whether an unsheltered individual is fed, properly clothed for weather conditions or otherwise able to meet the wants and needs of a dignified human being. Under this ordinance, Des Moines residents are criminalized for trying to meet these needs.

The penalties enshrined in the ordinance will not only harm these residents directly; they also promote discrimination against an already stigmatized population. Unfortunately, Des Moines residents experiencing homelessness aren’t the only people at risk; following a U.S. Supreme Court decision permitting  cities to regulate illegal camps, numerous cities have proposed ordinances similar to Des Moines’. 

It’s important to note that the ordinance is the devil’s spawn of a well-meaning set of directives to improve access to shelters. Even at their best, however, these directives will provide too little, too late. More importantly, though, these directives fail to address the root causes of homelessness, including the lack of affordable housing and accessible transitional housing programs; America’s individualistic, pull-oneself-up-by-one’s-bootstraps culture; and prioritizing profit over people. 

Des Moines’s city council could have chosen to set an example of compassionate, effective solutions for homelessness. Instead, they’ve chosen to permit the violation of human rights and encourage stigmatization.