Homeless people are defecating on the sidewalks and streets of downtown Miami, turning the city into an outdoor wasteland, residents and business owners say.
“The situation is the worst I’ve seen in my 25 years here,” business owner Jose Goyanes told the Miami Herald. “The stench is really bad, even after you hose it down. We see people urinating against buildings or pulling their pants down and squatting because they have nowhere else to go.”
People said they have seen human waste deposits in gutters, planters, doorways, and even in plain sight in the middle of the street— and they say it is bad for business.
“It’s prolific. It’s on every block and at the base of most trees,” said businessman Gary Ressler. “I can’t bring national tenants here and walk through downtown without having them observe human feces littering the sidewalk.”
The reason for the increase in defecation on the streets mostly stems from a homelessness crisis throughout the U.S. that is hard to solve, but a critical shortage in public bathrooms available to those who live on the streets or cannot find room at a shelter makes it difficult for these people to maintain personal hygiene. – READ MORE