City giving homes to the homeless
by Lori Barrett | May 19, 2008 at 11:57 am
Posted in baltimore politics
Baltimore’s homeless citizens have long used the park in front of St. Vincent de Paul church on President Street for shelter. However, the church has agreed to work with the city in an effort to move the park’s residents into more permanent housing.
The city has a long-standing battle with St. Vincent de Paul over their park, which is located at a very visible location near the Inner Harbor. City officials, now reportedly concerned with drug dealing and prostitution occurring under the tarps, have asked the church for help. The church will allow the homeless to remain, but has agreed to ban tents from being used (even in cold weather). In return, city officials are invited to visit the park, helping its residents to move into shelters, drug treatment, and mental health programs — part of Mayor Dixon’s 10-year plan to end homelessness.
Dixon’s plan was announced back in January. It will lease subsidized apartments to homeless citizens, provide legal service for families facing possible homelessness, offer job training in shelters, and provide incentives for employers to hire the homeless. About 100 housing units are already reserved for the homeless; 10 of those are for residents of the St. Vincent de Paul park. Baltimore is estimated to have about 3,000 homeless people.
The city has relocated the residents of other homeless camps recently, including one under the JFX on Guilford Avenue, moving most of the people into permanent housing or drug treatment. Outreach workers are scheduled to visit the St. Vincent de Paul park this week to determine housing options for its inhabitants.
Honestly, I’m quite surprised that our mayor’s 10-year plan has progressed this far in a mere four months. But what do you think — is it enough to fix the problem?
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May 19th, 2008 at 4:19 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
end homlessness....now that's realistic
May 19th, 2008 at 6:07 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
This is absolutely dispicable. I know the city has wanted to hide that blight for some time now they want to move it even further away. St. Vinny has been fighting for these folks for a long time now. And now to ban the blue tarps? In cold weather? rain? Or is it because the tarps make them more visable as homeless? What if they had clear tarps? If the homeless were actually real people I would probably be even more outraged. Is this in mayor Dixon's 10 year plan to eradicate homelessness in Baltimore? I'd like to see a follow up to see where these folks are put. They'll probably shack them up with the Arabber's horses.
May 19th, 2008 at 6:55 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
I refer to her as Mayor Skeletor usually
May 19th, 2008 at 8:19 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
Mayor Skeletor! I see similarities. I haven't heard her evil laugh yet. That would seal it for me.
May 19th, 2008 at 8:37 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
The litter on Fayette St is disgusting. Just yesterday drove by a full, up side down garbage bag on top of a storm drain. The homeless aren't the most eco-conscience group. In doors would be a much better place. With access to clean needles, drug treatment, job training, mental and physical health care. Not on any any street corner.
May 19th, 2008 at 8:57 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
Clearly you don't know much about the mental health services they provide to poor people in this city. I'll give you a quick tour of it right now. Ready?
Counselor: Stop doing drugs or you have to leave.
Client: But I can't stop doing drugs right now. It's hard and I'm bipolar on top of my addiction.
Counselor: Get out.
and.....scene!
Was it everything you hoped it would be? No? Yeah, it usually isn't. Many homeless people simply refuse to be treated like **** at any of the free treatment centers...and who could blame them? The solution isn't as simple as dragging them indoors. Although it would be nice if that were the case. But this is real life, where beer doesn't rain from the sky and solutions are never simple.
!