People Deserve Housing, Not Handcuffs—Withdraw Ordinance #11871

Let Us Love Our Neighbors, Not Criminalize Them

Every major faith tradition teaches us to care for the vulnerable and to love our neighbors as ourselves. But right now, Summit is considering Ordinance #11871, which would make it a crime to sleep or rest in public spaces—even if someone has nowhere else to go. This ordinance would punish unhoused people with fines, jail time, or forced community service for acts of basic survival.

This is not justice. It is not compassion. And it is not the Summit we believe in.

The Mayor's Task Force on Homelessness has already done incredible, community-centered work, connecting our neighbors to housing and care. That work should be strengthened—not undermined by criminalization.

Summit already has mechanisms in place to ensure the safety and well-being of all people. We do not need to add cruelty disguised as policy.

🙏🏽 Email the Mayor and Common Council now: Tell them to withdraw Ordinance #11871 and choose compassion, care, and real solutions.

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Love Our Neighbors—Withdraw Ordinance #11871

Dear [elected official],

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I’m writing to urge you to withdraw Ordinance #11871, which would move Summit away from a path of progress, compassion, and common-sense solutions to homelessness.

This ordinance would criminalize the basic human need to sleep. It could lead to arrests, fines, and even imprisonment for people who simply have no other place to exist or store their belongings. This is not justice—it is cruelty.

Summit has made important and commendable strides by collaborating with service providers to create care plans and connect unhoused residents to housing. That approach is the path forward. I respectfully ask you not to abandon that compassionate, community-led strategy now. Please continue supporting rapid rehousing and Housing First programs that treat people with dignity and offer real solutions.

The root cause of homelessness is the lack of affordable housing—not sleeping outdoors. There are already laws in place to address dangerous or unlawful behavior. Enforcing those laws is very different from punishing people simply for being poor.
Fining unhoused individuals for sleeping outside is not only ineffective—it’s senseless. If someone cannot afford housing, how can they possibly afford to pay fines?

Many of those impacted are not strangers—they are longtime Summit residents who have fallen on hard times. Every major faith tradition calls us to care for the most vulnerable among us with compassion, not criminalization. This ordinance betrays that core value and threatens Summit’s reputation as a caring, forward-thinking community.

Please do the right thing. Withdraw Ordinance #11871 and continue the good work of the Mayor’s Task Force on Homelessness.

I hope you will act with the dignity and care this moment requires.

With compassion and deep concern, [Your information here]