Altoona city officials are correct in moving carefully on the issue of homelessness, including actively seeking others’ perspectives on how the issue is being approached elsewhere — before firming up decisions here.

The issue is one, that if not dealt with in the right way, could set the proverbial stage for the problem getting worse here, or expanding the problem beyond the city’s borders.

While exporting the problem — or a portion of it — to other municipalities might seem like a good idea to some city residents, in reality it is not, and the main reason is obvious. Altoona has greater pulling and coordination powers, being a sizable community, than adjacent, more rural, places might have in regard to “pulling the right strings” to help the people in question.

It is troubling for city residents to have to admit that “urban camping” truly is a problem here, but trying to hide the problem is likely to be more troublesome in the long run.

Of course, the city is not trying to hide the problem and that is a strong credit on its behalf.

There’s no guarantee homelessness can be eradicated completely here, but making long strides toward that objective will help keep efforts manageable.

As a Feb. 24 Mirror article detailed, Altoona City Council is considering an ordinance that would make “urban camping” illegal but, at the same time, help keep the issue from becoming a “criminal problem” that might help clog local or area incarceration facilities.

“The idea is ‘to get people the care and help they need and not turn it into a criminal problem,'” said City Manager Christopher McGuire.

“We want to provide people with safe shelter when we see them out in situations like this,” said Councilman Dave Ellis, referring to the inclement winter weather that the city and its environs have experienced over the past several months.

In the Feb. 24 article, McGuire made the good point of reminding readers of the fact that the city currently lacks actual enforcement tools targeting the homeless, even though there are a number of available resources available to help make the plight of the homeless less severe. The city manager added that it also is the goal of city leaders to make decisions that do not interfere with the downtown’s development progress and the business owners who have invested much to help not only themselves but, also, the city as a whole.

And Councilman Ron Beatty reminded everyone not to forget the best interests of the taxpayers, whose taxes help keep the city in operation.

Besides the local moves related to preparing the best possible “urban camping” measure, the decision to travel to Pittsburgh to gain insight into that city’s handling of the homelessness issue was, no doubt, a great investment of time and effort.

What insights McGuire and Ellis gained during that trip to Allegheny County should go a long way toward ensuring that no important considerations are left out of the proposed local ordinance and the procedures that will be implemented in connection with it. Likewise, city officials’ contacts with area magisterial district justices regarding the measure should help its implementation and enforcement and avoid unintended consequences.

It’s unfortunate that homelessness still exists in Altoona, but having a plan and the right legal tools for dealing with it will ease its burden on the community, including the public uneasiness that exists alongside it.