WEEKLY EDITION NOVEMBER 27, 2019
Note: The PSAI is committed to bringing Members industry news. It creates original content and it
aggregates news that appears in other sources. Unless otherwise stated in organizational documents or
in Association Insight newsletters, the PSAI does not have or take a position on the content of news
items from other sources.
PAGE 14
Orlando Considers Bathroom Trailers
Downtown Orlando has very few public restrooms. Bar owners are
being deluged with people who need a restroom, and those who can't
find an enclosed facility are relieving themselves on the side of the
roads. To address these ongoing problems, the city plans to bring
"upscale porta-potties" to downtown. The units would be elevated,
have running water, and be open during the day and from 11:00 pm
to 3:00 am at night to serve bar patrons as well as the homeless. If the
plan meets approval, the portable toilets could be installed by
December 16.
READ THE ARTICLE
Project Highlights Toilets as Harm Reduction and Human Right
When Homeless Healthcare Los Angeles (HHCLA)
first studied the Skid Row area of the city in 2017,
they found that the scarcity of public toilets violated
United Nations sanitation standards. Only nine public
toilets were available for more than 1,700 people.
Not only did the lack of toilets cause higher rates of
health concerns (including a hepatitis A outbreak), it
made homeless people more vulnerable to police
interference and criminal penalties.
To address these issues, HHCLA opened the ReFresh
Spot in 2018. As part of the initiative, permitted
public toilets were brought to the area. ReFresh Spot
also has showers and laundry facilities and helps residents access HHCLA's other services. As the article's
author asserts, "24/7 restrooms are a win-win for both homeless people and general public health."
READ THE ARTICLE