Nuisance Ordinances: How They Work, Who They Harm, and How to Fight Them

Content: Nuisance ordinances – which impose civil and criminal penalties on residents for seeking police or emergency medical assistance – purport to discourage crime and promote safety and quality of life within communities. However, recent advocacy and research have revealed that these laws and policies have the opposite effect. These policies discourage residents from reporting and seeking emergency assistance for crimes, including incidents of domestic violence, and compromise the safety of survivors. Nuisance ordinances also have been used in targeted enforcement efforts against communities of color. This webinar provides an overview of how nuisance ordinances jeopardize housing for survivors of gender-based violence, as well as provide tools to combat these harmful laws. 

 

Presenters: Sandra Park, Senior Staff Attorney, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Women’s Rights Project and Linda Morris, Skadden Fellow, ACLU Women’s Rights Project.