Reform of The Savings and Shelter Fees Requirement for Shelter Residency.

Many if not all of the Shelters in the City of Philadelphia require as a condition of residency that those who work while in shelter relinquish a mandatory percentage of their earnings for the shelter to save on their behalf. The policy represents a contractually unconscionable bargain between the Government/Shelters and the homeless citizens, is bad social policy, and is unconstitutional.

We the undersigned believe in a Right to Choose for ourselves whether we would relinquish our earnings to someone else to manage or not; and many would prefer to have a savings or investment institution to save for them rather than a sheltering institution.

We the undersigned believe that our earnings are our property and that in accordance with the 5th and 14th Amendments to the United States Constitution, we should not be deprived any part of our property without our consent, without due process of law, or without just compensation.

We the undersigned request a reform of the savings portion of the rule:
that it be made discretionary rather than compulsory in accordance with the right to choose for ourselves and especially in light of the fact that homelessness is not always a function of savings but rather of jobs.

We the undersigned believe that the sheltering fees should be reexamined in light of the taxpaying status of working shelter residents and those who have worked in the past. We believe that the taxes we have paid in the past and the taxes we pay in our current employment provides the needed revenue to enable the City to provide goods and services in accordance with the Social Contract defined in the Declaration. The provision of shelter is a needful service provided by the City for its landless citizens.

We the undersigned believe that beyond the provision of a bed and meals, mandatory financial management by the Shelter is a usurpation of the individual right to choose the way in which one might elect to save for oneself and violates fundamental principles of Constitutional Liberty.

We respectfully request, in accordance with our First Amendment right to seek a redress of grievances, an opportunity to negotiate the reform of this regulation that intrudes upon fundamental liberty.


Respectfully Submitted,