Help for Tempe Panhandlers

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Sitting or lying on public sidewalks is no longer allowed due to a recently enacted Tempe ordinance, impacting the homeless who relied on panhandling. The Downtown Tempe Authority has responded with fundraising efforts that will funnel money to social service agencies that help the homeless and others in need. Kate Borders, executive director of the Downtown Tempe Authority, will tell us more.

TED SIMONS: TONIGHT'S EDITION OF ARIZONA GIVING AND LEADING LOOKS AT EFFORTS TO HELP THE HOMELESS IN TEMPE. A RECENTLY ENACTED CITY ORDINANCE BANS SITTING OR LYING ON PUBLIC SIDEWALKS. IN RESPONSE, DOWNTOWN TEMPE AUTHORITY IS WORKING WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES TO HELP FUND SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES THAT HELP THE HOMELESS AND OTHER IN NEED. HERE WITH MORE IS KATE BORDERS, THE DOWNTOWN TEMPE AUTHORITY'S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. GOOD TO HAVE YOU HERE, THANKS FOR JOINING US.
KATE BORDERS: MY PLEASURE.

TED SIMONS: LET'S TALK ABOUT THE RECENTLY ENACTED ORDINANCE REGARDING PAN HANDLING, SITTING AND LYING, PETS DOGS -- WE'VE SEEN WHAT'S GOING ON. WHAT DOES THE ORDINANCE DO?

KATE BORDERS: IT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE THE ORDINANCE WAS IN EFFECT UP TO NOVEMBER 2014. IT STARTED IN 1999 SO THE ORDINANCE WAS ON THE BOOKS FOR SOME TIME AND IT -- THERE WAS SOME ISSUES AND IT WENT AWAY FOR A WHILE AND WE SAW THAT WE NEEDED TO BRING IT BACK AND IT PROHIBITS PEOPLE FROM SITTING DIRECTLY ON THE SIDEWALK, SO ANYONE CAN SIT ON BENCHES OR PLANTERS OR OTHER PLACES THAT ARE INTENDED FOR SITTING BUT CAN'T SIT DIRECTLY ON THE SIDEWALK. AND THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS LIKE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY OR A EVENT TAKING PLACE, PEOPLE WATCHING A PARADE. A LIST OF EXEMPTIONS BUT THE GIST IS TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM BLOCKING THE SIDEWALKS SO THAT OTHERS CAN PASS BY SAFELY.

TED SIMONS: THE BUSINESSES DOWN THERE WERE VERY MUCH BEHIND THIS, WERE THEY NOT?

KATE BORDERS: THERE WERE CONCERNS FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS. ACCESS TO THEIR BUSINESS, THEY WANT PEOPLE WHO ARE PASSERSBY TO BE ABLE TO GET INTO THEIR BUSINESS. SOMETIMES PEOPLE WOULD CONGREGATE IN LARGE GROUPS WHICH FELT TO SOME WALKING DOWN THE STREETS UNSAFE. SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE COMPLAINTS THAT WE WERE HEARING FROM THE BUSINESSES.

TED SIMONS: AND COMPLAINTS ON THE OTHER SIDE WAS THAT THIS TARGETS THE HOMELESS AND OFFERS NO HELP. AT THE TIME OF THE ORDINANCE BEING PASSED, IS THAT CRITICISM -- VALID?

KATE BORDERS: I DISAGREE WITH THE CRITICISM BECAUSE THE CITY OF TEMPE HAD AN OUTREACH TEAM IN PLACE FOR YEARS-- THAT'S CONSTANTLY APPROACHING PEOPLE IN NEED AND ASKING IF THERE'S SERVICES THEY CAN PROVIDE AND DIRECTING THEM TO SERVICES, THAT'S BEEN IN PLACE FOR A SOME TIME AND IT'S A STRONG PROGRAM AND THE OTHER PIECE OF THAT, I FEEL LIKE THESE INDIVIDUALS HAVE ALWAYS HAD -- WE HAVE A TEAM OF PEOPLE ON THE STREETS WHO ARE APPROACHING THEM, WE HAVE THE SAFETY PATROL AMBASSADORS WHO GET TO KNOW THEM ON THE STREET, BUT DIDN'T TARGET HOMELESS PEOPLE BECAUSE ANYONE COULD BE APPROACHED. IF YOU AND I WOULD SIT DOWN ON THE SIDEWALK, WE WOULD BE APPROACHED.

TED SIMONS: I DO IT EVERY WEEKEND. I CAN'T SIT DOWN IN FRONT OF LOTIONS AND POTIONS ANYMORE MORE. I WANT TO GET TO THE EFFORT TO HELP THESE KIDS, BUT AFTER THAT CHANGE--AFTER THEY FOR RID OF THE ORDINANCE AND BEFORE THIS ORDINANCE WAS PUT BACK IN PLACE, WAS THERE A DISCERNABLE, TANGIBLE DIFFERENCE DOWN THERE?

KATE BORDERS: WHAT WE SAW WERE SPIKED CONCERNS FROM THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY. WE MONITOR WHAT WE'RE HEARING FROM THE BUSINESSES AND WE DO A POINT IN TIME COUNT ON A DAILY BASIS WHAT WE'RE SEEING ON THE EXTREME STREET. OUR TEAM DOES AND DID SEE A MEASURABLE INCREASE AND THAT WAS KIND OF PART OF WHAT STARTED THE CONVERSATION, IT WASN'T JUST THIS HAPPENED AND IT WENT AWAY AND NO IMPLICATIONS BUT THAT IT HAD A DETRIMENTAL EFFECT.

TED SIMONS: NOW WE HAVE A PLAN TO RAISE FUNDS TO HELP THESE PEOPLE AND SOME OF THE BUSINESSES OUT THERE PUSHING FOR THE ORDINANCE ARE BEHIND THE EFFORT?

KATE BORDERS: THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY -- THERE'S MULTIPLE PIECES TO THIS. OUR ORGANIZATION IS SOME WHAT WILL A CONVENER OF THE MERCHANTS BUT THEY ALSO STAND ALONE AND DO A LOT OF THINGS-- HAVE THEIR OWN EFFORT. SO WE'VE BEEN PREVIOUSLY WORKING ON AN EFFORT TO REVITALIZE THE MISSION METERS WHICH WE HAVE METERS ATTACHED TO KIOSKS CASH OR COINS AND THAT MONEY GOES TO DIFFERENT AGENCIES, THOSE HAD BEEN IN PLACE AND IT THROUGHOUT DOWNTOWN THAT CAN TAKE WAS OUR GOAL TO REBRAND THEM, REPAINT THEM, ATTACH A MARKETING CAMPAIGN TO THEM SO THAT PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF THEM. SO THAT'S BEEN STARTED. THAT EFFORT. WE HAVE STARTED DOING THINGS WITH THE LOCAL CORPORATIONS IN DOWNTOWN TO TRY AND GET THEM TO PARTICIPATE IN NATIONAL HUNGER AND HOMELESS AWARENESS WEEK AND THOSE EFFORTS HAD BEGUN AND WHEN THIS KIND OF TRANSPIRE THE BUSINESSES CAME TO US AND SAID HOW CAN WE PARTICIPATE? WE PUT ALL OF THOSE EFFORT, THE THINGS WE WERE ALREADY DOING ALONG WITH WHAT THE BUSINESSES COULD DO AND SAID LET'S COME UP WITH ONE CAMPAIGN. SO IT'S TITLE COMMISSION CAMPAIGN AND WE REACHED OUT TO ALL OF THE MERCHANTS AND SAID WHAT CAN YOU DO. WHAT'S IN YOUR WHEEL HOUSE THAT YOU CAN DO THAT CAN BE A CONTRIBUTION TO THE CAMPAIGN.

TED SIMONS: GIVE ME EXAMPLES OF WHAT BUSINESSES CAN AND ARE PLANNING TO DO?

KATE BORDERS: A LOT OF THEM ARE DOING THIGS LIKE HOLDING EVENT AS GIVING A PERCENTAGE OF THE PROCEEDS AND A LOT OF DONATING GOODS TO DIFFERENT AGENCIES THAT NEED FOOD OR THINGS LIKE THAT. SOME ARE COLLECTING ITEMS THAT ARE NEEDED BY THEIR EMPLOYEES. SO DRIVE, THINGS OF THAT NATURE AND SOME ARE JUST GIVING CASH. WE'VE HAD BUSINESSES MAKE DONATIONS TO THE AGENCIES.

TED SIMONS: THESE AGENCIES ARE OUT THERE AND, AS MENTIONED, THERE ARE PLANS TO DEAL WITH SOME OF THESE FOLKS IN THE PAST. ALL WELL AND GOOD. HOW DO YOU GET THOSE FOLKS TO THE AGENCIES?

KATE BORDERS: I MEAN, THESE ARE ISSUES THAT THE ENTIRE NATION IS STRUGGLING WITH AND THERE'S NOT AN EASY FIX. SOME INDIVIDUALS ARE READY FOR HELP AND SERVICES AND THAT'S WONDERFUL AND, YOU KNOW, WE ALL KNOW WHO ARE KIND OF IN THE TRENCHES IN THIS BUT SOME AREN'T AND YOU CAN'T PUSH PEOPLE TO SERVICES IF THEY'RE NOT THERE YET. BUT NATIONWIDE, PEOPLE ARE FINDING THE MORE TIMES YOU APPROACH PEOPLE, THEY BECOME COMFORTABLE MEETING AND KNOWING YOU AND EVENTUALLY, HOPEFULLY, SEEK HELP.

TED SIMONS: IS THERE A PERCEPTION, ASPECT TO THIS AS WELL WHERE SOME OF THESE KIDS MIGHT HAVE BEEN A LITTLE MORE BELLIGERENT IN THE PAST THINKING EVERYONE IS AGAINST THEM AND EVERYONE IS AGAINST EVERY ACTION THEY TAKE, IF THEY UNDERSTAND AND KNEW THAT THESE BUSINESSES WERE HELPING FUND SOCIAL SERVICES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM. IS THAT PERCEPTION EVEN GET TO THAT LEVEL OR WHAT SO YOU THINK?

KATE BORDERS: I'M HOPEFUL IT DOES, WE HAVE THAT TEAM OF SAFETY PATROL AMBASSADORS THAT KNOW THE PEOPLE ON THE STREET AND MANY AREN'T HOMELESS. THERE'S --

TED SIMONS: WHAT PERCENTAGE DO YOU THINK ARE HOMELESS?

KATE BORDERS: IT'S DIFFICULT TO KIND OF GUESS THAT BUT WE KNOW THAT MANY AREN'T. SOME ARE AND SOME AREN'T. SOME ARE USING PANHANDLING TO PAY THEIR ELECTRIC BILL OR WHATEVER THEIR NEED. THERE IS NO TWO CASES THAT ARE THE SAME SO IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO -- EVERYONE IS A UNIQUE INDIVIDUAL AND THEY ALL OF DESERVE TO BE TREATED WITH THE UP MOST RESPECT AND HAVE THIS SITUATION BE SOMETHING THAT CAN BE IMPROVED FOR THEM.

TED SIMONS: BEFORE YOU GO, HOW LONG HAVE THIS BEEN IN PLACE--THE MISSION? WHAT KIND OF SUCCESS OR WHAT DO YOU GOT SO FAR?

KATE BORDERS: WE JUST STARTED JULY 1ST, IT'S A ONE-YEAR CAMPAIGN. RUNNING THROUGH JUNE 30TH. WE'VE RAISED $16,000 IN CASH SO FAR WITH ONLY A MONTH IN. AND WE'VE SCHEDULED LOTS ARE DIFFERENT EVENTS. ONE THING THAT'S MOST NOTICEABLE IS THE BEER CAMPAIGN. OUR THREE DOWNTOWN BREWERS, COLLABORATED ON A BREW AND A DOLLAR FROM EVERY BEER GOES TO THE CAMPAIGN AND THE FIVE AGENCIES ARE INCREDIBLE PARTNERS AND WE'RE THRILLED TO BE WORKING WITH THEM IN A DEFINED WAY THAT WE HAVEN'T DONE IN THE PASS. WE ARE JUST VERY EXCITED HOW IT ALL PLAYS OUT.

TED SIMONS: GOOD LUCK TO YOU AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING OUT. WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

KATE BORDERS: THANK YOU, MY PLEASURE. ¶¶

Kate Borders: Executive Director of the Downtown Tempe Authority

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