City of Zanesville Held Meeting to Discuss Homelessness in the Community

ZANESVILLE, Ohio- The City of Zanesville held a brainstorming session earlier this afternoon to discuss homelessness within the community and possible solutions.

The session took place inside of City Hall where local organization leaders from places like the Christ’s Table and shelters attended to figure out more ways they can combat this issue in support of code enforcement, says John Benson, City of Zanesville Code Enforcement Administrator and Building Inspector.

“Issues that we have to address are problems with code related, problems with the city codified ordinances that basically you can’t camp on city premises, there is no camping,” Benson stated. “Now if somebody wanted to pitch a tent and the kids stayed in the tent in the yard, that’s one thing, but when we have tents that are erected and people are basically living there and defecating there and urinating there, that becomes an issue.”

Benson shared how they have found people on railroad tracks, under the sixth street bridge, living in abandoned houses and a lot of the time their items are left behind leaving trash on city property.

“We have to change,” is what Benson said when asked about implementing possible solutions. 

“We can’t keep propagating and we can’t keep basically adding to it. There has to be the ability to give a man a fish for a day or teach him how to fish for a lifetime. That concept, we have to incorporate that somehow and the homelessness whether it’s through what their giving or how it’s given, where it’s given or what time it’s given and then the responsibilities to that,” Benson said.

City officials hope that this discussion will bring about possible solutions to the growing problem of homelessness throughout Zanesville.