I've been told they are indeed homeless and wouldn't be out there in frequently miserable conditions, potentially exposing themselves to a virulent disease, unless they had no better options. Maybe a bit of compassion and consideration for what we would want if that were us or our near-and-dears is warranted here.

If they are indeed homeless, social services should be contacted and they should be taken to a shelter. Surprising that they only want cash, no food.

Not at all surprising. People can be malicious towards people who are homeless, giving them food that's spoiled or even poisoned. I would also hope that there is lodging available for them. Are shelters being equipped with supplies to keep residents healthy?

I don't know who I am corresponding with but you certainly are caring and compassionate. I am too - when deserved. I don't know how much experience you have with undeserving people but I have a lot, both personal and professional. I am not the only one who wants these people out of there. Check out nexdoor digest.

Hi Ellen,
Panhandling is not illegal and neither is being homeless. It's also not illegal for you to wish to banish those people, but legally, there is nothing anyone can do. The police can't do anything because there are no laws being violated. Social Services can't do anything because they have no authority to do so. Homeless people can't be rounded up and carted away to a shelter. That's not how the laws in our country work. And it doesn't matter how many other people share your frustration.

Please take a moment and try to put this into perspective. Imagine if, for whatever reason, other people didn't like you and wanted you removed from the community. How would you feel, especially if you weren't breaking any laws?

Your idealism is wonderful but I wonder how much practical experience you have. Regardless, isn't loitering a crime. Especially in this time of coronavirus, we certainly don't need homeless people that close to every car that drives by.

exactly the to tend to walk towards open windows

I'm glad you brought up the subject of loitering. I've done quite a bit of research on this subject. Loitering is not a crime. Many people believe loitering is a crime because we've all seen "No Loitering" signs since we were children, and we've seen "No Loitering" enforced without anyone challenging that authority. Legally, "No Loitering" can only be enforced on private property.

If that weren't the case, everyone who chooses to stand outside somewhere on public property without a specific purpose would be guilty of loitering. Even if "No Loitering" were enforced, it would have to be followed by everyone, not only homeless people. Any and all laws that exist must uniformly apply to everyone, other than laws which govern alcohol, tobacco, firearms and other laws which are age specific.

There have been some towns that have tried to enact "No Loitering" ordinances; however, they are all repealed as soon as someone challenges those ordinances as being unconstitutional quite simply because they 𝙖𝙧𝙚 unconstitutional.

I've also spent a lot of time studying the COVID-19 Executive Orders dictated by our governor and mayor. Some of them are enforced with the threat of punitive measures and some of them can only be enforced as strong recommendations.

My recommendation is to keep you car windows up and wear a face mask. If you still feel threatened by the homeless, please call the police.

I don't feel threatened, but some people do. Our town needs to do better by its citizens than "keep your car windows up" and "call the police". Again, I don't know who the anonymous respondents are on this website but I intend to follow this through.

Hi Ellen,

Yes, please do your best to follow through. If you need any assistance, please let me know. I've been trying to help the homeless for several years, but we could always use more help. If you're interested in any volunteer activities from which the homeless can benefit, please let me know. Together, we can make our world a better place.

Currently I am the Chair of a town commission, a member of HAT, work with the CT Food Bank, am a CERT member, etc., etc. But, I will certainly find time to try to eliminate this problem.

comments right on point ellen I should be able to travel with my window open as well

That sounds fantastic and I totally support our town's Clean & Green Commission. If there's anything you can do to help solve our problem of homelessness, that would be great.

Anything, that is, that actually helps the actual people that are homeless.

I never received any response from the Town which is what I would like. I did receive a number of responses from god know who criticizing my complaint. Is this a Town monitored/responded site or not?

Hi Ellen,

This is a publicly monitored site and there are many people who have seen your posted comments. The lack of responses is because nobody wants to be included with your crude remarks. You're on the Clean & Green Commission, right? We can see you posted the following comments on the issue of homelessness in our town:

"...𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙣𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙡𝙚𝙧𝙨 (2 𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣) 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙎 & 𝙎 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙤𝙩𝙨 𝙗𝙚 𝙙𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙤𝙬𝙣?"

"...𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙖 𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙩𝙚𝙧."

"...𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙡𝙤𝙩, 𝙗𝙤𝙩𝙝 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡. 𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚. 𝘾𝙝𝙚𝙘𝙠 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙣𝙚𝙭𝙙𝙤𝙤𝙧 𝙙𝙞𝙜𝙚𝙨𝙩."

"...𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙧𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙢."

You're not doing anything to help solve the problem of homelessness. You're just trying to push the problem somewhere else. How would you feel if someone tried to push you out of town when you've done nothing illegal? We need to help the homeless, not push them away.

Well said, @Tommy.

Oh Tommy.... Well said... Sounds like you just exposed Ellen as the leftist elitist she is. Lmao... Preach tolerance to everyone as she looks down her nose, just don't let her be inconvenienced. A chair of a town committee, Ellen? You are the paradigm of what has gone wrong in New Haven. You should resign.

Thank you all for your patience while we work to address your concerns.

The Town of Hamden’s Police Department, Community Development Department, along with Cornell Scott Hill Health Center Homeless Healthcare team are working together to aid and assist with the increase of homelessness and panhandling in the Town of Hamden. For more information please visit;
http://hamden.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=213

Also please refer to Bill No. 896 regarding “AN ACT CONCERNING A HOMELESS PERSON'S BILL OF RIGHTS”
https://www.cga.ct.gov/2013/TOB/s/pdf/2013SB-00896-R00-SB.pdf
https://www.cga.ct.gov/2013/TOB/S/2013SB-00896-R00-SB.htm