Florida City Using "Baby Shark" as "Temporary Solution" for Homelessness

Officials in West Palm Beach, Florida have begun using "Baby Shark" as a deterrent for people experiencing homelessness at a local waterfront park.

Capitalizing on the infectious qualities and induced nausea of the song, the city has commenced blasting "Baby Shark"," as well as the children's song "Raining Tacos," on a nightly loop, in hopes of driving the congregating residents who have been sleeping at Lake Pavillion, a waterfront park event space.

"People are paying a lot of money to use the facility. Thousands of dollars. We want to make sure people paying this money had a facility that was clean and open and continue to use it in the future." said West Palm Beach Parks and Recreation director Leah Rockwell to CBS News.

Thousands of dollars, indeed. The events space brings in roughly $240,000 a year. Could you imagine if it needed to be cleaned in the morning?

If this tactic is reminding you of those used at Guantanamo Bay detention camp, where deafening music was used as a torture device on alleged terrorists, you're not alone. Methods such as these and other forms of hostile architecture used as "temporary solution" to the homeless crisis sweeping the United States have been routinely criticized by advocates for the homeless, who call it "dehumanizing."

Speaking to USA Today, Megan Hustings managing director of the National Coalition for the Homeless said, "There's been many other places that have played music of some sort to drive folks out. It's awful that we have so little respect for the humanity of our homeless neighbors. When you hear things like songs being used, it's turning a blind eye to people who are a part of our communities."

The tactic hasn't been entirely successful, though. Illaya Champion, a West Palm Beach resident who has been sleeping at Lake Pavillion, tells The West Palm Beach Post, "It don’t bother me. I still lay down in there."