The City of Grand Rapids is now seeking to adopt some of the same measures that the Chamber of Commerce introduced to criminalize the unhoused

Back in December, the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce put forth a proposed ordinance that would criminalize the unhoused so that businesses, shoppers and tourists would not have to be bothered by the presence of those who are being slowly crushed by capitalism.

The GR Chamber proposal would criminalize the unhoused for coming within a certain distance of business entrances, bus stops, ATMs and other sites in downtown Grand Rapids. In addition, it would punish people for lying down on park benches or in doorways. Fines would be levied for the first infraction. or jail for those unable to pay the fine – which would be virtually every person who is unhoused, and jail for a second infraction, along with an increased fine. You can read all the details of the Chamber proposed ordinance here.

In response the City of Grand Rapids said, well, we have numerous ordinances in place already and we want to see if more enforcement will work. The City of Grand Rapids, specifically through the Public Safety Committee, then held a few community forums, paid an outside agency money to facilitate them and then provided a summary of those sham meetings to the committee at their May 23rd meeting, which you can read here.

At the Public Safety Committee’s May 23rd meeting, members of that committee made some pretty awful comments about the unhoused and those struggling with mental health issues.

Now the City of Grand Rapids is proposing new ordinances in order to deal with the unhoused, which they see as a nuisance. On top of that, the City’s ordinance proposal shares some of the same language and punishments directed at the unhoused that the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce proposed 6 months ago. However, the City of Grand Rapids will not adopt the proposed ordinance before allowing the public to weigh in at their 2pm meeting on July 11, a meeting which is conveniently at a time when most people are unavailable. 

The City of Grand Rapids made this decision to host a public hearing during that June 13th meeting of the Committee of the Whole. You can read the newly proposed ordinance language at this link, beginning at page 109. It is worth reading these new proposals side by side with the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce proposal, which you can find here.

MLive reported on the City’s new ordinance proposals and the public hearing as well. They provided a brief summary of the proposals, cited Grand Rapids City officials and Josh Lunger from the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce. Lunger was provided with lots of space to talk. MLive wrote:

Josh Lunger, the chamber’s vice president of government affairs, said Tuesday the organization is excited to see the ordinances proposed Tuesday as well as additional supports that the city says will address the concerns raised last winter. “Our top priority is that we want to have a thriving community that’s vibrant, that’s active, where people feel safe and comfortable and they want to come out and enjoy this,” Lunger said. “And if this moves us there then we will be thrilled.”

Lunger makes a living trying to influence public policy, which isn’t that difficult considering how much the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce contributes to get people elected to the City, County and State offices. Also, his notion of a thriving community that is safe and comfortable is really his way of saying that the Chamber, and now Grand Rapids City officials, want the business community, consumers and tourists to feel safe and comfortable. It also means that Lunger and his accomplices at City Hall are complicit in the criminalization of the unhoused, those that are the very victims of the brand of Capitalism the City and the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce embrace.

Fortunately, the Grand Rapids Area Tenant Union, along with other potential groups in Grand Rapids, will be organizing an effort to counter the Chamber of Commerce/City of Grand Rapids plans to criminalize the unhoused. Go to their Facebook page to find upcoming actions and information resources to oppose the criminalization of the unhoused.