Housing for the homeless continued
by Lori Barrett | May 31, 2008 at 10:05 am
Posted in baltimore politics
I received some emails in response to last week’s post about Baltimore City’s efforts to eradicate homelessness.
To recap, Mayor Dixon has a 10-year plan to end homelessness (which some believe is ambitious, to say the least). Her efforts thus far have included banning the use of tarps from the camp in front of St. Vincent de Paul church. Some homeless people have already been moved from the streets into transitional or permanent housing. Even Wal-Mart is getting in on the action: Dixon recognized the company on Friday for donating about $28,000 worth of goods to the campaign.
Emails to me expressed concern about where the homeless would be living once they are relocated from the streets. To answer that question — all over the place, it seems.
Watching the City Council agenda may give you a more specific answer. On Monday’s agenda, for instance, are two zoning issues “for the purpose of permitting… the establishment… of a nonprofit home and transitional housing facility for the care and custody of homeless persons.” The addresses in question for this week’s meeting are 1801 Falls Road and 2031 St. Paul Street.*
One reader wrote: “Wondering how the high taxpayer that dwells in the city with his/her family feels about having a neighbor that had a drug problem/prostitution/criminal record… A lot of citizens are concerned if this program will work considering some of them [the homeless] don’t stop what they are doing regardless if they live in a nice subsidized home or a tent.”
So let’s hear it — is this a concern to you? Admittedly, it’s not much of one to me. However, for a number of years, I lived on the same block as a soup kitchen. Even now, I’ve opened my front door on several occasions to find someone sleeping on my stoop. So this isn’t a problem that could come to my neighborhood — it’s a problem that’s already here. In my eyes, in my neighborhood, all parties would benefit if the homeless are given permanent housing, even if it’s next door. Would you welcome housing for the homeless in your community?
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*If the zoning issue is of concern to you (or even if it’s not — something else must be), I encourage you to subscribe to the Council’s weekly e-newsletter. Within it, you’ll find a schedule of the meetings for the week, as well as links to the agenda and/or detailed information on the issue.
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June 2nd, 2008 at 1:22 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
I think we are confusing homelessness and "houselessness". There has to be a desire on the individual's part to acclimate and become a productive member of society once a roof is supplied. Simply putting a roof over their head is not necessarily enough. Because they are given a physical address, they are still in effect homeless, if they will be on the street, asking for money from the passers-by. With a house, joe-citizen is just relieved of the task of stepping over a sleeping vagrant on the sidewalk.
It seems to me this is an effort to hide the problem and not necessarily fix it.
June 2nd, 2008 at 2:15 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
I agree with Dave and the diff between houseless and homeless. I think the housing should be targeted for homeless families in efforts to keep them together, especially women and children. One of the proposed locations is in my neighborhood and I think it would make a fine location. Like Lori, I have homeless around town already so it makes sense to have a shelter close by. And I have noticed less people camping at St. Vinny's. Any bets on if these folks are in housing already? Doubtful. I'll bet the mayor just did some city sweeping. Oh our mayor. Everytime I see her on that city council tv program she is clueless to answer questions. I would hate to be introduced by her because she would forget my name or mispronounce it. Just like she did the speaker who lavished praise on her for her (copied) 10 year plan to eradicate homelessness (from our view).