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THIS IS NOT WHERE I LIVE! I AM IN NEW MEXICO NOT CT! PLEASE FIX THIS!!!!!!

I say don't fix it b/c I'm sympathetic to their plight and I know mathematically that they are only occupying just 2% of the Green at best and that this is only seasonal. Lets try to care MORE for the homeless and not LESS..

I agree. reported it earlier this summer... Why is this allowed to happen. Downtown looks like a dump

We can be sympathetic and provide needed resources. By all means, provide food, space. Just not in the very center of the city. If we care about promoting the image of new haven as an innovative city on the rise, having this be the main impression of visitors is unacceptable.

Yeah, that must be tough when you are out enjoying a beautiful day of shopping, dining and touring Yale Campus. I mean seriously, why don't these people just go somewhere else? Ahh, it must be because they literally have nowhere else to go.
Empathy goes a long way in New Haven. You might not always like what you see, but when you lay your head down at night, in your air conditioned apartment/house try and think about what life must be like for the homeless. I'm sure they would trade places with you in a second.
My suggestion, walk over to Chipotle, buy a few burritos and go hand them out to people in need. Compassion is far more rewarding than being judgmental.
#mytwocents

I contribute to homeless shelters, the food bank and soup kitchen, BUT I do not want my tax dollars used to clean up the messes left behind by these encampments--now reported and growing in 2 parks and on the Green. I have cleaned up a small, abandoned encampment and the amount of stuff we hauled out in plastic bags astounded me. It's no wonder it costs law abiding taxpayers payers thousands of our hard earned dollars every fall to clean up these encampments. Why are the police, the Parks' Dept and Alders turning a blind eye to this money sucking issue? New Haven is broke. The State is broke. In a perfect world, the City could offer a boutique of options for the homeless, but we don't. Remove these encampments now! And we haven't even touched on the health issues due to lack of proper sanitation at these encampments and the destruction of parkland.

Enough is enough. Last time I walked through the upper green this summer, there was a vagrant woman urinating in public; she looked at me, dropped trow and let loose, I almost wonder if it was for the shock value as anything else. This is humiliating for the homeless poor and for New Haven citizens who want to actually enjoy the green in a safe and dignified manner. The homeless "rights" activists have done an incredible disservice to all of us by killing common sense measures to solve this problem. This is a public safety issue and an incredible embarrassment. Enabling unruly, unsafe encampments is exacerbating the problem and not improving the lives of the homeless in any way.

I agree with the original poster that something needs to be done, and the food, space and services need not be in the very center of the city. Not all those on the Green are homeless or have other issues, many are just lazy bums hanging around. I walked through the upper green the other afternoon and passed several men on a park bench openly rolling and smoking joints, with trash strewn all around, witnessed by a mother and her two young children walking by -- THAT behavior has nothing to do with homelessness. New Haven is a very compassionate city, and the residents and businesses here financially donate to many, many, many programs to help those in need, and we are lucky that there are many programs in New Haven for those that want the help. In fact, with the state budget cuts, these services are now kept going solely through the help of residents and businesses to continue their work, so we are indeed compassionate. What is so wrong in working hard and wanting to enjoy a beautiful day of shopping and dining -- supporting these businesses that support those in need, and showing off this fine city? I live here, pay taxes, donate to human services programs -- and have also repeatedly offered a freshly purchased Chipotle or Shake Shack sandwich to those on the sidewalk asking for money to get something to eat -- only to be screamed and sworn at that they don't want the food they want the money. And I'm certainly not the only person to experience that. Therefore I don't think we can just use one blanket category of "homeless" and give a pass to everyone hanging out and trashing the Green.

I actually think the self-righteous posters above patting themselves on the back for buying the homeless burritos are part of the problem. There are several PSAs posted around New Haven explicitly saying not to give to panhandlers. Honestly, when you buy food and personally hand it to homeless, you are doing it for yourself, not for them. Give money to the pros instead to actually try to improve the problem rather than enable it. Also, Robbin is right, I've seen people offer food instead of money only to get screamed at by the entitled homeless that they want money not food. So that should tell you everything you need to know.

I have lived and worked downtown for many years. Nearly a decade ago, long before 360 State Street went up there was a homeless camp right outside my place of business in Pitkin Plaza. It was during that time that I spoke with multiple agents from LCI, NHPD, Columbus House and countless social workers who visited regularly to check on the men and women who called the plaza their home. One of the most memorable statements came from a NHPD officer who said, "What can I do? If I force them to leave here, they will just go somewhere else."
The issue of homelessness goes beyond just cleaning up and moving them out. These are human beings, who deserve compassion, respect and of course food. I choose to feed them because I know what it is like to go hungry. I'd be lying if I said it didn't bring me joy, but I do it because it is the right thing to do. You don't have to agree, but these men and women cannot just be pushed out of this city. If you so strongly disagree with feeding them, then why not try talking to them? See what they have to say and take a moment to see things from their perspective.
Like I said before, compassion is far more rewarding than being judgmental.

Keep in mind that almost 10 years ago Yale received a $20 million dollar alumnus donated gifted entirely for the School of Music on College Street that is just steps away from these homeless people. A tiny fraction of this money could've helped these people tremendously! BUT NO-ONE cared at Yale including some of the elite posters on this thread!

Jon, and your neighbor. Thanks for your comments. I'd be interested to know your thoughts on solutions. In an ideal world where Yale dedicates that $20 million from Yale to helping these people, how would you propose to use it? I think most folks would agree its not ideal to have this type of encampment in the center of the city. But the question is how do we balance care and compassion for the homeless population with making the Green the inviting place for residents and visitors to New Haven that it should be.

Jon, you are very misinformed. Yale cannot misappropriate money they receive from a donor for a specified purpose. No one would ever give again if they did. It's not Yale's responsibility to provide a stipend to the local homeless. This is New Haven's problem.

I said a TINY fraction of the $20 million; of maybe the principle amount of the $20 million of the interest it generates. You can consult with Wendy Hamilton if YOU REALLY CARE, this philanthropist spent many years studying the problem and has concrete solutions but lacks the money to implement it after giving away her 1 million dollar inheritance to fund numerous other causes, look her up in Wooster Square.

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Everyone can relax. The warming center where a lot of us sleep during autumn and winter will open in September. None of us prefer sleeping outside, but while the warming center is closed, the Green is the safest place for us. Our encampments will soon be gone. In addition, with the arrival of the Yale students and the U.S. Open occurring, the NHPD has maintained a nearly constant presence on the Green and they speak with us every day. They have been friendly in demeanor yet stern with authority. By the way, Yale helps us significantly. They serve us dinner every Friday night in autumn and winter and it is always the best meal of the week.

Sorry Tommy about the above postings from these extraordinary selfish low-soul level growth "people" who in their comments reveal an extreme moral disconnect in not being able to relate to you. There are others like myself who if I won millions in a lottery a hefty sum would be donated to end homelessness in New Haven. If the above people spent a little time Google searching how other cities solved this problem 100% they would know there are concrete solutions. I hope I never get to point spiritually where I view other humans as an eyesore the way they do.

Acknowledged by mayor on WNHH

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Tommy, I'd love to buy you a coffee sometime. You are obviously good at finding contact info online, so shoot me an email.

Tommy your comment was inappropriate and threatening. Dan does not owe you anything. His photos were appropriate and he did not identify anyone by name with them. You should delete your last message.

Thanks for fixing this issue!

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Tommy, point taken. Let's continue the discussion offline. I don't think it is an either/or situation and didn't mean to imply that it is. Good policies could improve welfare of the homeless and maintain the aesthetics of the Green.

Tommy-as a self-proclaimed educated person, you should acknowledge your last argument was an egregious straw man. No one here has said the city's aesthetics are more important than the welfare of the homeless. It is perfectly reasonable to say that the encampments on the Green are unsightly and importantly unsafe. Your welfare does not depend on living on the Green.

I think we all want the same thing; a clean New Haven Green and acceptable welfare for the homeless. I lived in Japan and Italy for 22 years and since returning I have been trying to relearn American culture. I became homeless to satisfy my curiosity of what it really feels like. The worst part is being shunned by American citizens. Since my physical appearance became indicative of a homeless person, more than 90% of the people in New Haven will not even say "Good morning" to me after I make the salutation and when I go into any place of business, I'm treated like a criminal. I understand why many homeless people seem like such jerks. It's because they are treated that way.

Thanks for fixing this issue!

Thanks for fixing this issue!