Cleveland— Today, on June 14, the ACLU of Ohio, the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless, scholars from Cleveland State University, and others sent a letter to Akron City Officials urging them not to destroy a local homeless encampment, Second Chance Village. The Akron Planning Commission will determine the fate of this village tomorrow, on Friday June 15. The below statement can be attributed to Elizabeth Bonham, staff attorney for the ACLU of Ohio:
The City of Akron has a record of criminalizing homelessness without providing safe, secure alternatives for housing access. Instead of disbanding this sanctuary - a dangerous and unwise act - the City should support those who are experiencing homelessness and their allies. We urge Akron officials to allow Second Chance Village to continue to provide a safe, secure, place for residents who have nowhere else to go.
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