ROCHESTER, N.H. (AP) - An advocate for the homeless in New Hampshire is asking the state Supreme Court to strike down a tenting ban in the city of Rochester.
Don McCullough tells seacoastonline.com he believes the ordinance criminalizes homelessness and conflicts with the state’s public welfare law.
The retired Dover firefighter filed a suit last year after losing a lower court case that stemmed from his intentional violation of Rochester’s tenting ban. He said the ban essentially categorizes homeless people as “citizens without a country.”
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The state has until March 28 to respond.
City councilors passed the ban last year to prohibit people from sleeping in a tent or vehicle at night on public property. Violators are subject to a $100 fine. Officials have said the ordinance is intended as a public safety measure.
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Information from: Portsmouth Herald, http://www.seacoastonline.com
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