There’s a person living in a van on Patterson Avenue, according to residents who signed a petition asking the borough to address the situation.
Bridgeville resident Morgan Frazier presented the petition to council last week.
“[This is] an issue that we recognized on our street that has been on- and off-going for about three to four years,” said Frazier said.
Borough solicitor Thomas McDermott said that the situation is “very much a concern of council’s.”
“We’re trying to be very sensitive to the individual’s situation, the neighbors’ situation, and public safety all at the same time,” the solicitor said.
McDermott noted that there can be Constitutional considerations when communities address homelessness.
Being homeless in and of itself isn’t a crime, but some communities criminalize the behaviors associated with homelessness, like loitering, sleeping outside, panhandling. To discourage people from living and sleeping in vehicles, some municipalities leverage parking ordinances, loitering laws, and even indecent exposure measures (i.e. changing your clothes in your car).