Revived city proposal tied to charitable work a 'criminalization of giving,' advocate says

A City-County council proposal requires donors to register with the city to hand out charitable goods on public streets, mirroring a previous proposal in 2020 that drew criticism from aid organizations who say it creates a barrier in helping vulnerable residents.

The proposal, sponsored by three Democrats, mandates a person or group intending to deliver food, clothing or other donations to at least 10 people in a public right-of-way or property must first register with the city’s Office of Public Health and Safety with at least 48 hours' notice.

The councilors in the proposal state the aim is to make sure donations are "orderly and safe" for donors and people receiving them. The proposal mentions charitable distributions can lead to excessive litter, and raised another concern: violence.

"Charitable distributions have also led, in several recent well-documented cases, to conflicts that have resulted in serious physical harm to the most vulnerable members of our community," records state.

The new proposal comes nearly two months after the killing of a young woman whose family said she died while downtown delivering food to unhoused people May 19.

Court records indicate Taylor George was killed after an argument broke out between her boyfriend and the suspected stabber, who he accused of taking pictures of George near the Indiana World War Memorial.

Aid groups concerned

Local aid groups scrutinizing the proposal argue it will hinder people from helping the city’s poor – particularly individuals and smaller organizations. Activists further said the proposal would ultimately harm the most at-risk residents.

“The people it would affect the most are the people who are just trying to survive. (They’re) living on the streets, they don’t have housing and they don’t have regular employment,” said Noah Leininger, of the Party for Socialism and Liberation. “It’s making it harder for those organizations to distribute aid to people who need it.”

Several mutual-aid groups and activists rallied outside the City-County building as the council met Monday to say the proposal is an assault on helping the poor.

“It’s a criminalization of giving,” said Jonathan Howe, of the West Indianapolis Neighborhood Congress.

A similar proposal created in 2020 did not pass committee. A Republican councilor who introduced it then said the idea was spurred after speaking with downtown business owners who reported an increase in people experiencing homelessness and litter on streets — overwhelmingly from groups handing out food and did not supervise the clean-up.

A vocal opponent of that proposal is now co-sponsoring the new proposed ordinance.

New proposal a 'natural evolution'

Councilor Kristin Jones in a past committee hearing when the previous proposal was up for a vote said it would hinder “churches, organizations and families” from feeding unhoused people and the poor. Video archives from the meeting show Jones called it a “moral versus immoral vote,” and lamented how the council was “fighting” over regulations and fines when it comes to feeding or clothing vulnerable people.

Jones in a statement to IndyStar denied the notion that the proposals are similar, saying there's a "clear distinction" to her when it comes to the way the city now provides charitable distributions, as well as the more "punitive" nature of the previous proposal.

She further called the new proposal a "natural evolution" in the city's approach to charitable giving by encouraging the use of the city's two newer food distribution sites. She pointed to another new proposal that approves funding for two public restrooms and cleaning services at Old City Hall and Babe Denney Park.

"That being said, I appreciate concerned constituents who seek to engage in good faith dialogue on these complex issues and look forward to joining in those conversations in the coming weeks," Jones' statement continued. "We owe it to our City’s most vulnerable residents to grapple with these difficult policy questions."

Co-sponsors, Council President Vop Osili and Zach Adamson, in a statement along with Jones later Tuesday, said they've postponed considering the proposal in committee to August after hearing concerns from residents.

"This will allow time to engage with stakeholders on how we can best serve our neighbors experiencing homelessness and food insecurity while also ensuring coordination of food distribution and other services," the statement said.

What the new proposal says

Under the new proposal, donors are required to provide the dates, time and locations of their distributions as part of the no-cost registration. Anyone who violates the registration requirement, if the proposal passes, will first receive a written warning. Anyone found in violation again will be issued a $250 fine, then a $500 fine for each violation after.

The Office of Public Health and Safety, the proposed ordinance states, will revoke a group’s registration status if it receives three reports of littering or property damage that occurred during or “immediately" following a distribution event. The proposal further states if police are informed of one or more incidents that result in serious injury to someone during or immediately after a distribution, the office can also revoke the group’s registration after receiving a documented report by the law enforcement agency. A person or group will not be able to register for distribution for one year after their status is revoked, the proposal said.

The new tentative hearing date for the proposal to be discussed in the Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee is Aug. 24 at 5:30 p

Contact IndyStar reporter Sarah Nelson at 317-503-7514 or sarah.nelson@indystar.com.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Charity proposal would require registration with city to give