Today Alan Graham stood in front of the City Council of Austin, shoulder-to-shoulder with over 60 fellow supporters, to advocate for the Habitat on Wheels (HOW) Park Place Village. (Please take some time to read more about HOW on our website.) Though the initiative met with a few strident voices of dissent, the Council voted 7-0 in unanimous support of the vision of abundance, tolerance, and community that Park Place Village stands for.
Much of the opposing voices came from impassioned and vocal members of the East Side community who were worried about a “homeless camp” in their “back yard.” While the concern of these community members is absolutely valid, I personally believe that much of their discomfort could be alleviated with information, so I would like to post my response to some of the points they made.
Concern #1: I do not want a community of sex-offenders, drug addicts, and derelicts in my “back yard.”
Who would? I certainly wouldn’t. But, I think that this statement confuses the issue—not all homeless people are drug addicts, sex-offenders, or criminals. The homeless have been engaged in an uphill struggle against this stereotype for as long as homelessness has existed.
It is true that some homeless people do have drug problems, criminal backgrounds, or problems existing in society. But, show me members of any income bracket that don’t suffer these same afflictions. Drug addiction is a tragic cross-cultural problem that touches each strata of our city, and registered sex offenders can be found in the vast majority of Austin neighborhoods.
The homeless who would benefit from Park Place Village are the homeless people you pass in your car under the bridges, at stoplights, and on the drag in Austin. Your city. Some are long-term residents of the city who have watched the gentrification, the changing skyline, and the expanding city just like you have.
You could say that the community of people you don’t want in your back yard are, in a sense, already among you.
Concern #2: Why concentrate the homeless, segregate them, in East Austin. Spread them out!
In the last five years the City of Austin has implemented four housing projects outside of East Austin—so, not all good ideas happen in East Austin, as a gentleman said. While the East Side is the grounds for much of Austin’s gentrification and industrial expansion, it has not been the exclusive segregated dumping grounds that is has been made out to be.
As to why Habitat on Wheels has chosen to place the homeless in a community comprised of like-minded individuals? There are several answers
-Community support. In order for a supportive, healthy community to take place there has to be an understanding. Who better to understand the unique plight of the formerly homeless than the formerly homeless themselves? Adjusting to life as a member of the legitimate community will be challenging enough without the constant suspicion of community members who don’t understand the unique challenges of the Park Place Village resident’s position.
-Supervision and guidance. HOW has proposed that the Park Place Village be abundant with resources dedicated to helping the community members transcend homelessness successfully. In order to ensure the success of the community and to minimize the fears of the surrounding communities, HOW would like to make sure that supervision and guidance are a possibility. There is no easier way to do that than to contain the community in a secure and well-suited environment; these same people are already living under our bridges, in our roads, and along our highways.
HOW’s Park Place Village is a revolutionary first blow in the ongoing battle against homelessness. There are fears to be alleviated, concerns to be addressed, and community members to educate; but most of all there are homeless men and women to be housed, loved, and given a chance. Give them Park Place Village.
-Posted by Rachel Patterson, Mobile Loaves & Fishes eMarketing Assistant and ardent supporter.
Great summary, Rachel. I know that Alan, Mike Martinez and others plan to meet with all who expressed concerns and correct some of the mistaken impressions that are out there.
Posted by: Brenda Thompson | April 11, 2008 at 10:24 AM