Last March, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter outlawed serving meals to the homeless in city parks, citing health concerns as the primary reason for the ban.
Chosen 300, a private charity with a mission to serve the city's homeless, is in the midst of a lawsuit against the ban. They insist that the new regulations are harmful to the homeless community.
"These laws are really designed to eliminate people out of plain view so that we can have this idea that the city doesn't have a homeless problem," said Chosen 300 executive director Brian Jenkins.
The ACLU, which sued and won a temporary injunction against the new law, said the real reason for the ban is to protect the city's image as a tourist destination.
The federal lawsuit will be brought to trial early next year and both the city and Chosen 300 are working to resolve the standoff out of court.
About 2 minutes. Shot by Joshua Swain. Produced by Amanda Winkler. Edited by Amanda Winkler and Jim Epstein.
Image credit: ID 126683205 © Bumbleedee | Dreamstime.com
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