Presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren denounces proposed Las Vegas homeless ordinance

LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — Presidential candidate and Democratic frontrunner Elizabeth Warren announced Wednesday her opposition to a proposed plan to criminalize homelessness in the City of Las Vegas.

RELATED |Proposed ordinance would make it unlawful to sit, sleep on sidewalks in Las Vegas

“We should be fighting back against measures that criminalize homelessness – not proposing ones that will only perpetuate it,” said Warren.

“I strongly oppose this proposed ordinance, which caters to the interests of business groups rather than our families and our communities,” she added.

Sitting on sidewalks, sleeping in doorways and setting up tents under underpasses could all lead to $1,000 fines or six months in jail if a new ordinance is passed by the city.

Some reports indicate only 2,000 beds are available for homeless individuals in Southern Nevada and nearly 6,000 experience homelessness on any given night.

According to The Center, most of the homeless youth in the valley are members of the LGBTQ+ community.