Drug addiction and mental health issues certainly come into play when the homelessness issue is dissected.
Mental health care does cost a lot, and the money that cities and counties and states allocate for this healthcare service has dwindled severely over the past 20 or so years. There was a time this service was available on a sliding scale, but the situation now is woefully inadequate. Still, we can pay for stadiums and events year round with no limit.
We can subsidize high dollar housing for any developer who asks.
Yes, gentrification has necessarily diminished available housing that people living on substandard wages can afford - substandard wages paid by those employers begging for help.
I'm not sure how one parent households can be blamed for homelessness, unless we're simply saying one person working can't afford rent. For many, that is true, here and elsewhere. When landlords and property management companies have carte blanche to raise rent on a whim, this is the result.
It seems easy to say other people aren't trying hard enough when one doesn't actually have to confront the multitude of obstacles those of lesser means navigate every day. It also appears to absolve those with means of any responsibility for assistance or relief, be it monetary or legislative or civic in nature.
Most of us make wrong or ill-advised choices at some point in our lives, but the fact that one can afford to buy one's way out of those choices doesn't lend one moral high ground.
Loose morals come in many shades, rationalization and victim blaming not the least of these.
Darlene Kilgore
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The question is how the City Commission can approve 60,000 for the local housing authority and additional money being approved for the Airport Inn renovation without having some additional supportive services? How much do you spend in trying to solve the homeless problems?
I don't agree with Mr. Wolfe's argument that "the only permanent solution to homelessness is a home". It's about the people on both sides. Those willing to work if able and admit that they might have issues and willing to change.
If we have 700 living in a broken down extended stay hotel and now without any housing, how much were they paying weekly or monthly for that unit? Was it free?
I'm for welfare where needed but not just giving out until there's nothing to give. The city needs a better plan than just providing a place to stay including support services and screening of individuals who can succeed in society.
Tim Bittenbender