The City of McKinney approved two ordinances this week restricting public camping and sleeping in an effort to address homelessness downtown — raising questions about why Dallas has not adopted similar measures.
The new rules make it unlawful to sleep, lie down, or sit on public sidewalks, streets, or medians, and bans camping in any publicly accessible space. Exceptions apply in limited circumstances.
McKinney Mayor Bill Cox said the ordinances came in response to safety concerns from residents and business owners near the city’s downtown square.
“Job one: keep our citizens safe. Job two: keep our businesses operating,” Cox said, according to WFAA.
The packed city council meeting featured emotional testimony from both supporters and opponents of the changes.
Public Reaction Highlights Broader Divide
“This merely punishes people for existing while poor,” one speaker said during public comment.
Supporters argued that the ordinances would restore order to public areas. “Sometimes tough love comes into play here,” said one resident. Another added, “This is just ridiculous in McKinney,” expressing frustration over the lack of previous enforcement.
William, who has been living outdoors near the public library, attended the meeting on his bike. “We have all the resources very close to us,” he said, crocheting small pumpkins to make extra money. “A lot of these people lack community; they don’t have any family or friends. That’s why I am here.”
William said he expected the ordinances to pass, but fears they will force people experiencing homelessness to “hide.” “It’s going to disturb me for a moment while I figure out the next step,” he said.
McKinney officials also announced a year-long study of homelessness called the Stronger Together initiative, which will partner with consultants and community stakeholders to develop long-term solutions. “This is not just a McKinney issue, it’s nationwide,” Cox said.
Many Facebook users supported the new ordinances. One McKinney resident claims that the homeless are “camping in the green belt of their subdivisions.”
Others worry for their safety and cite instances of homeless individuals “following them into stores” and “banging on their car windows,” while asking for money.
Some Facebook users accused critics of “virtue signaling”, saying they support camping as long as the encampments stay away from their property. Others argued the city’s approach criminalizes poverty. “Criminalizing homelessness hasn’t worked anywhere,” one commenter wrote. “We’re lazy and we’re cruel, and this ‘solution’ is easy.”
Critics Challenged on Personal Contributions to Homelessness
To gain a clearer understanding of the opposition’s viewpoint, The Dallas Express reached out to several individuals who criticized the ordinances. DX inquired about the amount of personal donations these commenters had made to assist people experiencing homelessness and whether they would permit homeless individuals to reside on their property.
Ressa Clemons responded, “Anyone can have compassion. I am a single woman, not a governing body. That is not my responsibility.”
Emily Bryant said, “I’m confused about how an individual’s contribution to these causes is relevant to the city’s decision to criminalize homelessness.”
Eric Ortiz stated, “I am willing to donate some of our public property to helping to house the homeless. As you may know, I couldn’t build a dwelling to house a family on a single-family lot. That would go against zoning ordinances.”
None of the individuals contacted indicated that they had personally donated to assist people experiencing homelessness, nor did any express a willingness to allow homeless individuals to live on their property.
Most sidestepped the questions entirely.
What about Dallas?
With McKinney taking decisive action, questions remain about why Dallas leaders have not advanced similar ordinances to address encampments across the city.
City Council Member Cara Mendelsohn has repeatedly criticized Dallas’ approach to homelessness, saying residents are “fed up of hearing homelessness is decreasing when they see it every single day,” as The Dallas Express previously reported in June. She has urged stronger enforcement of current laws and greater accountability for the use of taxpayer money.
Frustrations surrounding the city’s approach to homelessness continue to mount: residents report litter, safety concerns, disorder from unregulated street feedings, and shifting encampments pressuring downtown hotspots.
With Dallas lagging on voter-mandated safety reforms under Proposition U, the question looms larger: Will Dallas follow a path similar to McKinney’s, seeking a balance between enforcement and empathy for a safer city?