A proposed Denver ordinance that would deal with an increasing number of homeless people sleeping on sidewalks has prompted criticism that it would criminalize homelessness.

Do we really want the debate to be about protecting the “right” of homeless people to live in difficult and degrading conditions?

For that matter, what about the rights of people who live and work downtown to enjoy the public spaces that hundreds of homeless people have staked out for their own?

The situation is far more nuanced than pitting the haves against the have-nots, and we think most Denver residents are compassionate, sophisticated and realistic in how they view the homeless issue. We hope Denver City Council members ultimately are as well.

The city has long underwritten extensive efforts to get the homeless into permanent housing, and has had a largely live-and-let-live approach to policing the scattered homeless people who find a sleeping spot under bridges, along bike trails and on public property.

No one can credibly argue that Denver officials have tried to drive the homeless from city limits. To the contrary, the city is a valued partner in Denver’s Road Home, which has helped many homeless people find better situations.

During the last couple of years, however, there have been two developments of mass public camping that have prompted the current reassessment of policy.

The most visible is the Occupy Denver movement, which for months camped out on a sidewalk along Civic Center. The other involves nightly congregations of what can be as many as hundreds of homeless campers on the 16th Street Mall.

There comes a point when such activity becomes too much — when it interferes with access to public spaces or makes those spaces unappealing to other citizens.

The ordinance is an appropriate way to address these problems, particularly when coupled with additional outreach and services.

As currently drafted, the ordinance would focus on making it illegal to camp on sidewalks and in public spaces. It also would make it easier for authorities to address illegal camping on private property, such as in doorways of downtown businesses.

We think city officials ought to have the tools to manage mass homeless camping situations, as well as instances in which there are concerns about health, safety, hygiene and even commerce.

And while the plan may be protrayed as the opening move in a crackdown intended to push the homeless from the city, it is not that at all.

The ordinance likely will be discussed in various council committees and before the full council in coming weeks.

We hope for productive debate that embodies the city’s tolerant and pragmatic attitudes about the problem of homelessness.