It was my intention to discuss many more of the issues of the homeless, issues concerning homeless women and children, the mentally and physically unrehabilitatable, the domestic abusers, sexual predators, chronic homeless, hard luck homeless that want renewed life, the homeless ex-military, and stories from homeless I have met in this and the next issues. But I must pause and discuss the politics as I see the MHA going through with the Salvation Army facility.
What I have seen is a group of citizens and businesses on one side that is tired of waiting for something to happen with the homeless, therefore willing to take action themselves. I see another side composed of residents and businesses that are opposed to any shelter in the downtown business and residential areas. The first side, the MHA, is composed of politically savvy, well connected and well heeled citizens and businesses, along with caring groups and churches. The MHA is organized, has a plan, applied for a grant, put up money to match the grant, and is on course to develop a facility in the failed Salvation Army facility. The other side is composed of a loose group of citizens, primarily neighborhood leaders and residents, opposed to any shelter due to the conflicts and fears that homeless spread through an area. The residents and businesses have a legitimate position as the littering (including defecation on porches, in yards, alleys and store fronts), sleeping in private yards, the aggressive (and I have seen aggressive) panhandling, and intimidation are detrimental to a peaceful, fear free neighborhood and business district.
Unfortunately, the residents and businesses (RB) are not organized, have no alternatives, and have not reached across the divide to work with the MHA, nor have taken the issue to the rest of the city residents. Likewise, the MHA has not reached across to work with the RB, springing this plan rather quickly upon everyone and rushing to implement it. Unlike the MHA, however, the RB has internal dissension. Some want to take action against MHA. Others simply want to support city council and whatever they decide to do about the homeless. Others are just angry and want to vent, not knowing what to do, or afraid to do anything. In spite of the internal schisms, the RB group will succeed in one way: they have forced council to refuse help to the MHA if they put a shelter at the Salvation Army site. Council realizes where the reelection votes are and know they are in the RB group, not the MHA. But RB will lose on the issue as MHA has the money and apparent legal right to build the shelter at the Main & Elmwood site.
The citizens, businesses, churches and helping groups of the MHA were tired of waiting for council and took action. They felt the city failed to act in a responsible manner, trying failing programs such as a winter only shelter and Housing First, neither of which solved anything long term. Now the city has extended the life of the riverside shelter that they promised to have open only two years, hired a homeless coordinator, and is trying to implement more services for the homeless. The effort is good, albeit long overdue, but underfunded and no guarantee of long term ongoing funding, especially in light of the city’s initial need to reduce the budget by at least 5%.
But the MHA faces the same problems as it has money to do the initial building and renovation but no guarantees of ongoing funding, putting it in the same danger of failure as happened to the Salvation Army. In this tight economic time, and without broad based support, the MHA cannot expect its shelter to last. It cannot expect anything but resistance at all points from the citizens and council alike.
All sides need to come together and talk, and listen. From what I have been told by some MHA members, this shelter at Main and Elmwood is a rehabilitation facility, one intended for those wanting to break the bonds of homelessness and economic insecurity, those that want to learn and improve themselves so as to once again become productive members of society. What it will not do is take in the transient and chronic homeless. Yet this is the main problem for the neighborhoods and business districts. So, the defecating, sleeping in residential yards, aggressive panhandling and such will still continue, problems unresolved.
Let me again state what I have in the previous three articles. This downtown facility is not adequate for the intended purpose as it is too small and cannot be expanded. There is not enough room for sleeping, eating and training to accommodate all that want and need services. The MHA points to Miami as an example. That facility has a small downtown presence with a larger facility on the outskirts in Homestead, much as I have suggested we do with a facility on our outskirts that would consist of many expandable and farmable acres. By having a large enough area, facilities can be created for chronic homeless vs. those for active job training and rehabilitation, and these facilities can be isolated from each other to keep threatening elements from women and children. But it still cannot succeed if there is not broad based support which must come Columbia, Richland, Lexington, Kershaw and Fairfield counties, all the surrounding cities, all churches, all groups like United Way, Sertoma, Rotary, etc., state and federal government, and private business and citizen support.
One way to build understanding and support is to have 4 or 5 forums around the city with panels from both sides discussing the issue, as well as taking suggestions and gathering ideas from the citizens. So far, I have had two newspapers and two from the MHA say this would be a good idea that they would support and participate.
Without cooperation, MHA will have built another failing shrine to poor planning from knee jerk reaction that our city has so eloquently demonstrated over the years, the homeless will still go needing, too much money will have been wasted, and the homeless issue will still be cussed and discussed for many more years to come.
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