State camping law prompts new Caddo homeless response

(The Center Square) – HOPE Connections is coordinating with local and national partners to move homeless residents into housing following Louisiana’s new ban on unauthorized public camping, Executive Director Christa Hawkins told Caddo commissioners Monday.Louisiana’s new law, which went into effect on June 9, makes unauthorized camping on public property a misdemeanor.HOPE Connections’ new initiative Downtown to Home plans to house every homeless person in downtown Shreveport by May 1, 2027.”This, of course, has been on our radar all along,” Hawkins said. “HOPE is the continuum of care lead agency for Northwest Louisiana, which means we are in charge of convening the homeless system and making sure that everybody works together.”The agency is partnering with national organization Community Solutions as well as local partners Easterseals Louisiana, Providence House and Volunteers of America.”Some really great agencies coming together to do the work together and we meet every Thursday in person, go over the list,” Hawkins said. “Everybody tells what housing options they have and we figure out how that’s going to happen as quickly as possible.”Those needing assistance are placed on a centralized list and remain there until they are housed or cannot be located for 30 days.Hawkins said 51 people were initially identified as needing assistance. Since then, 15 have been housed and seven have been placed in shelters.Participants in the program are given scannable wristbands identifying them as connected to HOPE Connections. The wristbands give Shreveport police an indication that a person is already connected to homeless services. Officers can contact HOPE Connections instead of intervening unless the person is suspected of unlawful activity.Cpl. Christopher Bordelon told The Center Square that officers do not seek out homeless people but typically encounter them when responding to suspected unlawful activity. He said the wristbands do not generally affect how officers handle those encounters.The effort comes as HOPE awaits emergency funding from Caddo Parish.Caddo Commissioner Stormy Gage-Watts asked Hawkins whether the agency had received the emergency funding from the commission and how it had assisted its efforts. Hawkins said the agency never received it.”We’ve never gotten it,” Hawkins replied. “It sounds like we might not get it. It sounds like we might not qualify for it or there was some issue. That seems to be the last time we heard.”Parish Administrator Erica Bryant said the parish is working on a cooperative endeavor agreement with HOPE Connections and hopes to have it completed soon.”We just had some questions about some other funding that you all had and making sure it all lined up,” Bryant said. “But we hadn’t been notified that you don’t qualify.”The Center Square reached out to Caddo Parish Grants and Projects Coordinator Jalisa Thomas for details on the funding but received an out-of-office response.Hawkins said helping someone obtain identification, a birth certificate and other documents needed for housing often requires trained caseworkers. She said arrests under the new law can create additional barriers by adding charges to a person’s record, making it harder to obtain housing.