Truesdale city leaders are taking a softer tone on tents being used for shelter after backlash over a suggested ban on makeshift living situations.

The city administration in May discussed possible new restrictions on living in tents or vehicles, in response to concerns about at least one person living in a tent outside a local home. City ordinance already forbids housing that doesn’t have  adequate sanitation or living space, but aldermen discussed additional restrictions focused on temporary accommodations often associated with homelessness.

After The Record published an article about the potential ban, a significant number of readers responded with comments critical of Truesdale’s response to the situation. Some said the city’s focus should be on assisting people who struggle to find stable housing, while others commented that a property owner should have the right to allow someone to set up a tent and stay on their property.

That feedback seems to have given elected officials pause. Mayor Chris Watson and at least one alderman on the city’s four-person board said on May 26 that they’ve been reconsidering their response to the issue.

In a letter to the board of aldermen, Watson said he had given more thought to how his Christian faith should guide his actions, and asked if enough has been done to connect the person at the center of the debate with resources to assist him.

“I don’t feel that this one isolated issue is going to warrant a larger problem in the future. If that day comes, we can address it then,” Watson said. He suggested that the city should still have guidelines about temporary living arrangements, but that the board of aldermen should be open to granting leniency for individual circumstances.

“Each one of us have fell on hard times, but I don’t think any one of us has had to live in a tent or experience this type of living,” Watson said. “What keeps the city of Truesdale unique is that we care about our residents and do what’s best for them.”

Alderman Jerry Cannon said he had also been reconsidering the issue, even before hearing public commentary on it.

“I’m very active in helping homeless, and homeless veterans in particular, and then here I am sitting on the board saying that this homeless person shouldn’t be living in a tent. Well, far be it from me to say that,” Cannon commented.

Aldermen noted that the city’s police officers sometimes provide information about shelter and care resources to domestic violence victims, and suggested the same information could be provided whenever a homeless person is identified.

However, Alderman Mike Thomas said the city still has an obligation to ensure that people aren’t living in unsafe conditions, despite the sympathy aldermen might feel. This is especially true if there’s a situation with a child involved, he said.

“Adults can make conscious decisions. Kids can’t,” Thomas commented.

The aldermen have not taken any further action on tent living since their initial discussion.