Jan. 12, 2006, 1:47AM
COLD HEARTS OF TEXAS?
Houston ranked 'mean' to homeless
Two groups cite laws they say criminalize people living on streets
By MIKE SNYDER
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle
Houston ranked seventh on a list released Wednesday of 20 U.S. cities with particularly harsh measures that criminalize sleeping in public, begging or other behavior associated with homeless people.
http://chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/3581766.htmlTHE LIST
TOUGH TOWNS
The 20 "meanest cities" listed by advocates for the homeless
• 1. Sarasota, Fla.
• 2.
Lawrence, Kan. • 3. Little Rock, Ark.
• 4. Atlanta
• 5. Las Vegas
• 6. Dallas
• 7. Houston
• 8. San Juan, Puerto Rico
• 9. Santa Monica, Calif.
• 10. Flagstaff, Ariz.
• 11. San Francisco
• 12. Chicago
• 13. San Antonio
• 14. New York
• 15. Austin
• 16. Anchorage, Alaska
• 17. Phoenix
• 18. Los Angeles
• 19. St. Louis
• 20. Pittsburgh
National Coalition for the Homeless; National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty
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What's up with this? I lived in Lawrence and went to graduate school at KU, and thought of it as one of the few liberal/progressive bastions in Kansas. I never thought it would be so anti-homeless, as least not "No. 2" anyway...