Marc Lamont Hill: We need to do better by the homeless

MAYOR NUTTER last week announced a proposal to outlaw outdoor public feedings on city parkland, especially the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, where highly visible feedings take place.

According to Nutter, the ban will allow for more sanitary and dignified food distribution to the homeless.

As expected, the news sparked a string of protests from antipoverty and anti-Nutter activists, who saw it as a swipe at the poor and a cynical attempt to polish the city's image for tourists and investors.

My first instinct was to pile on.

As someone who regularly works with the homeless downtown, I have seen firsthand the benefits of direct food service. Often times, homeless people cannot access official feeding locations because of physical disabilities, lack of knowledge about resources or a history of bad experiences with government-sponsored food providers.

Outdoor food distribution is often the most effective way to feed the hungry.

Still, we can't dismiss Nutter's perspective out of hand. After all, he has never demonstrated any ill intention toward the city's homeless. To the contrary, since becoming mayor he has worked to protect and feed disenfranchised Philadelphians.

Furthermore, Nutter is correct in pointing out that the current method of feeding the homeless is far from ideal. First of all, the approach is dangerous - we are one well-intentioned mistake or poorly intended sociopath away from seeing a mass poisoning.

It is also undignified. People should not have to stand outside in a hailstorm to get a hot meal. Safe, warm, and sanitary conditions should be the prerequisite for any food-service program.

Still, Nutter is a politician and this is definitely a political move.

As the mayor continues his effort to make the city more beautiful and investor-friendly, the presence of homeless people has become more of a hindrance. The last thing the city's power brokers want visitors and potential investors to see is a line of homeless people lining up for soup and sandwiches in one of our most rich and economically fertile neighborhoods.

This commitment to hiding the poor is only further highlighted by the upcoming opening of the Barnes Museum, which will only raise the economic and cultural stakes.

Even if the mayor believes everything he has said about the homeless - and I believe he does - it is impossible to believe that this wasn't also a calculated attempt to give the city a makeover.

But this isn't about Nutter's intentions. It's about a city that continues its assault on public space for its most marginal communities.

Last year, the teen curfew made it literally illegal to be young and outside. Now, we're penalizing people for feeding the homeless. While such moves may beautify the city, they degrade our collective character and send the absolute wrong message about our social commitments and priorities.

Instead of banning outside feedings, we should simply do as Nutter said: intensify our efforts toward the homeless by offering alternative locations, transportation to feeding locations, and physical and mental-health resources.

If we do these things, there will be no need to wage war on the homeless through public policy.