Our community has many issues that are significant in nature, and one that is on the top of my list is homelessness. Certainly, in my mind, homelessness is just as significant as the problems we face with violence, poverty and drugs.
I don’t think you have to be a world-renowned social sciences expert to understand that these issues are interconnected. Matter of fact, one affects the other; or maybe it would be better to say one issue leads to the other. From the beginning of time, we have made homes for ourselves; even in historic times, many thousands of years ago, the people of that time realized they needed a place to eat, keep their belongings and sleep.
Housing is basically a human right, even though in some cases you wouldn’t know that to be true. It is well documented that housing is essential to our well-being. It affects our health, both mental and physical, as much as any other need. To make this statement crystal clear: homelessness is everyone’s problem. With that being said, not having a proper system to address homelessness is an injustice to everyone.
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I read in one publication that more than 555,000 people experience homelessness on a typical night, and nearly 2 million people will spend time in a shelter a year. This means each day we have more people who are homeless than who live in some rural areas near us. To make the 550,000 more visual, that is 2.5 times the size of Augusta.
So, here we are trying to address the elephant in the room. There is absolutely a stigma of humiliation that comes with being homeless. The real shame is the people who only try to do something when the cameras are on – taking away what little dignity is left for our poorest. Couple that that with there being only a few places our homeless are actually welcome. Plus, we continually make the list longer of places they cannot go, which turns the few places they are allowed into gathering spots because those are the only places left for them. This makes for an even bigger concern – if we continue to deny our homeless issue in Augusta, soon we deny our issue exists at all.
Some people think that this is a problem that should be addressed within the federal government. I believe that there is some help that can come from there, but something this complicated, something this overarching cannot be fixed by our federal government alone. We must begin at a local level. Good luck with that. We must begin with fresh ideas and new approaches – which can come only from people at the community level who know the area and are innovative. So, with that being said — we may have to exclude our local politicians. Excluding them might be one of my BEST suggestions
So how do we address this problem? First we define it — what is our problem? Is it not enough affordable housing – can’t be that. We see all these great structures going up all around town. They are building homes, they are building apartments and they are building jails. Why are jails on this list? Because in most cases, it’s easier to get in and out of the jail than it is to get into one of the new homes. We need to make the process much simpler for these programs so that we can help people along in the qualifying process – NOT HINDER THEM.
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Then to dig further into this issue, the lack of adequate, appropriate sheltering is an even bigger issue. We expect people to stay in a place we would not even visit. That’s just not fair. I am not saying that shelters should be the Ritz Carlton; I am saying that there should a be standard by which you can feel safe and clean. It seems that we are quick to shut down a hotel — but will let a “shelter” operate as long as we don’t have to deal with the problem. Then, when we have people who are trying to be helpful, they are pushed away to see their ideas used by someone who is looking for TV time.
Which brings me to our announcement this week about “another” task force, coming behind the Monument Task Force, The Augusta Task Force, Bethlehem Community Task Force and every other task force to address an issue in our community. This is after my conversations last year with the housing director and mayor and anyone else who wanted to listen.
The one thing I hope happens this time is that we not only address the issue, we do something about it. I believe people in our community are tired of the song and dance – with no result. We need action and not just another meeting to talk about what the task force will meet about — real action that will address the needs of the people involved.
If I could offer one suggestion — unlike in the past when government decides to do something, with very little real community input, I would suggest creating a board that will be able to address the issue and give real feedback that is solution based. Here is a novel idea, engage some people who may be able to talk about what they are experiencing – the homeless themselves. We should ask what they think is needed the most to make a significant contribution toward helping them get back on their feet. This is very different from business as usual, but who better to explain – how cold it is outside at night, how dangerous it is in certain areas after dark and why they don’t like going to the shelter. Then maybe there can be a form of legitimacy in this process. This is a way to show the homeless that we care about their situation.
Through partnerships on our local level and a little help from the Feds, we can address and come up with real solutions. I understand the importance of having decision makers in a group, but I also know the importance of having boots on the ground to impact a problem. So, less jockeying for camera time, more working on a response as a community to take down this challenge that is all of our problem.
The way we tackle homelessness can define how we care about our community — let’s get it right this time. Finally, our response to homelessness is a measure of how we feel about our fellow man. Remember it’s BETTER to GIVE than RECEIVE.
Michael Meyers is a Columnist for The Augusta Press. Reach him at Michael.meyers@theaugustapress.com
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