This is small part of the tent city that has sprung up around the Roof Above homeless shelter just north of uptown since the start of the pandemic. For the past year the city has looked the other way as the number of newly homeless grew and gathered near the shelter which offers meals, showers, a laundry facility, counseling, and other needed services. On Wednesday city managers announced that the tent city area is a health hazard due to a rodent infestation. The residents were given 72 hours to pack up and leave. The deadline to vacate is 5:00 this afternoon. The city did offer shelter options to any tent city resident wishing bed space. For various reasons many refuse to live in a shelter. We noticed an increase in our lunch line at the Dilworth soup kitchen today as a result of tent city residents on the move and dispersing throughout the city. It's a sad situation. There are a number of government agencies and nonprofit organizations working very hard on issues of homelessness...drug rehab, mental health services, job training, affordable housing, and many other factors contributing to the problem. But it's a long haul issue with no quick solutions.
Three Good Things:
1. People and organizations who work tirelessly to better the lives of struggling citizens
2. I heard one of our neighborhood barred owls hooting early this morning
3. Warmer weather in next week's forecast
A sad sight Peggy... they are gathering near the food...we hear that many homeless people in the UK don’t like going to shelters...drug problems I think & I suppose they get used to fending for themselves but in the middle of winter it’s a desperate situation. Not sure how our cities are doing at the moment...lots of promises to find beds for them during the pandemic but how things are I have no idea shamefully. I haven’t been into a town for over a year.
Ah dear - what a nightmare for these poor souls. We miraculously took thousands of people off our streets last March when the country locked down and I know a lot are still supported in accommodation. Let’s hope it’s a stepping stone to a permanent solution for many but our doorways are starting to fill up again. I think it’s people who don’t want to access the other options at the moment- mental health and addiction problems and overstretched services - by throwing enough money at the problem things have improved overall it seems. Mind you we still have a ban on tenants being evicted- could be a crisis when that ends. On the other hand Rachel tells me there were 10,000 deaths by overdose in Vancouver last year- I watched a documentary about it recently and I have no idea how they are going to solve that enormous nightmare.
Such a sorry state. I can’t even imagine how hard a life like that could be. I only know of one tent city in my area, there must be more but must be well hidden. And how do they cope with the cold? And facilities when needed? I remember how much I didn’t really like tent camping, and that was by choice. Thank goodness you are able to help with your kitchen Peggy.
It is a sad situation and getting increasingly worst in many locations. I know downtown Nashville (an area with more than enough heartache recently) has relocated the homeless many times in the past decade. Thank God that there are organizations and volunteers who willingly lead a hand.
February 20th, 2021
Leave a Comment
Sign up for a free account or Sign in to post a comment.
