Accountability, and does it have a place in the homeless conversation?
During the last few weeks I have been reading quite a few posts centering around our homeless crisis, whether on Facebook or responding to stories by our local news affiliates.
So far most of it has been pointing fingers, demonizing the opposition and of course blaming political parties.
The one thing that no one seems to want to address is do we hold people accountable for their situation, or blame it all on a broken system.
We all need to be held accountable for our actions, willing to at least in part accept responsibility for whatever choices we made that may have led us down that path.
What about Accountability and Safe Camping?
The other hot topic debated online has been safe camping spots. A great idea in theory, but a logistical nightmare to actually implement, with the lack of available land, funding and no definitive plan on how it would be structured.
Sure there are models that have been successful in other cities, but because of our unique demographics, [these] would not translate well here. As an example:The safe spots that were implemented in Eugene.
Even though they had the support of regional governments, including City and County, they lacked proper supervision, leaving control in the hands of the people using the properties. There were no outside agencies making sure that people were adhering to the rules and being held accountable for working towards more permanent housing, causing them to be shut down due to safety issues.
Which poses the question of who if anybody would be overseeing the possible safe spots here.
Most agencies are already stretched thin as is from lack of funding.
Attend Meetings, Find out about Existing Programs and Listen
Finally, my advice to all interested parties is to start attending the Homeless Advisory Board meetings which have grown in attendance in the last few months.
It's a place to hear from those on the board as to what is being considered as well as a chance to offer solutions and be heard.
Also reach out to social service agencies and see how they are addressing the issue, such as the St. Vincent's Motel to Homes Program or the Salvation Army's sober living program.
And keep having those conversations, but make sure you have all of the facts and remember the goal isn't to be the loudest voice in the room or you may just miss something important.
Citizen’s Forum Essay by Joyce Cowdin shared with Our Town Reno.