Warming Shelter/Letter of Support
Patricia ware
Dear Scott,
My husband and I received a copy yesterday of the email sent by the Parkshore Homeowner’s Association that appeared to indicate that a majority of Parkshore homeowners are opposed to the Bill Ray Center as a cold weather shelter for our homeless neighbors. We are not among them.
While it’s true that Parkshore has experienced an uptick in trespassing and thefts, we also feel strongly that the current situation with our homeless population cannot continue. The Glory Hall is woefully inadequate, particularly now, given the pandemic and social distancing requirements. We continue to see men and women, as well as younger people, carrying their belongings and seeking shelter under the Gold Creek Bridge, in the glass enclosure in Whale Park, under the eaves of City Hall… the list goes on.
We strongly support the City’s efforts to secure a site for a warm weather shelter, whether at the Bill Ray Center, or one of the other options under consideration now that the list of properties has been expanded. That said, it would seem to make the most sense to choose a site that is economical, and has the least amount of build-out or renovation requirements.
Thank you for your work on behalf of this population, who we know suffers from inordinately high rates of mental illness and alcohol or drug addiction. Both of us spent our careers in the social service arena and do not share the assumptions made in the letter from the Parkshore Board that a shelter nearby will necessarily result in increased danger for school children, or increased drug sales at the high school.
Clearly, we all want to be safe in our homes and in our community. But we do not believe that means that services for the homeless must be located elsewhere. We are all part of Juneau. Our challenge is to find out how we can all live as neighbors, and to provide necessary resources and supports to reduce homelessness and its root causes.
Sincerely,
Patty Ware & George Buhite
cc: Juneau Assembly