The Chattanoogan.com poll of the day on March 23 read "Should steps be taken to curb the increase of 'tent cities' in Chattanooga?" The response was a resounding "Yes" (91 percent last I checked). No surprise there.
I'm curious though what "steps" people had in mind when they answered this poll. Increased enforcement? That would only result in the "tent cities" moving somewhere else, around and around the city in a perverse game of musical chairs.
The only real solution to homelessness is housing. Jobs are great, but holding down a job is hard without a place to stay, not to mention the paperwork questions when you don't have a permanent address.
Mental health services are great, but the uncertainty of being homeless has been shown to increase mental health issues, so for many people mental health services end up treating the symptom but not the root cause.
So I wonder how many readers would support a city program to house the homeless unconditionally? Maybe that should be the next poll of the day.
Nathan Bird
* * *
I don’t write opinion letters often but right now is not a good time for me to back down from doing what I know is right to do. Nathan Bird, I don’t know you but thank you for your letter. Without housing provided there won’t be a workable human solution to homelessness and tent cites. The mental health service will have to be a component or the program will not have the teeth to take a bite out of the problem.
Therefore, I would love for the newly elected mayor to really take the problem seriously and form a bonified committee to make recommendations as to how to move forward serving this segment of our society. There are already entities working towards this end and they must be involved in formulating any plan. We have to have a group who will look at both the pros and cons of each idea.
I’ll promise you this, Nathan Bird, I’ll stand with you and be whatever part of the solution I can be. Anytime I can be involved to help the homeless or stopping the taking of yet to be birthed lives, count me in. Yes, call me a pro-lifer, whether I’m advocating for the homeless or yet to be born people, my motto will be “All Lives Matter”.
J. Pat Williams