 A homeless man sleeps on a park bench near The Quinco Building.  A homeless couple share the People Trail with bikers and a hiker. Jay and I have been witnessing first hand the growing problem of homelessness in Columbus. We understand the "not in my backyard" reaction we can often have when it hits close to home . Many hours of research have led us to understand that it's complicated and there's no one-size fits all solution. It's going to take people with expertise in various backgrounds and experiences. It's going to take all of us. In an editorial, The Republic stated that we don't know how many homeless there are and that as winter approaches, it's important we find out. Jay and I couldn't agree more. We can come together and we can do it, but we cannot put it off any longer. We need to create a homelessness task force to assess and make recommendations to city council. What are other cities doing? What's working? What's not working? We need a community approach. Residents, business owners, government and churches should all be working together to ensure a good outcome for us all. We should have a hotline or an officer within the Columbus Police Department to act as a liaison to concerned residents wishing to report an encampment or advise of a homeless person who has moved into a neighborhood who may need services. This liaison should educate us on how to direct our money, time and resources to ensure we are helping and not hurting. We need to consider what the "housing first" model really entails. Mayor Jim Lienhoop said. “Permanent supportive housing … means that people can bring their drugs into the facility and continue to use while they are residing there." Some communities are finding their own way, like the ones in the video below. We will find our way too, which is why Jay is running for city council. Comments are closed.
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AuthorI was born and raised in Columbus, and I've spent the last 25 years living and working here. I love our city, and together we can keep it great! |