By Jay Kerner

When we started The Regular Joe we decided that our paper was going to focus on the positive things about our town. Frankly, it’s a lot more fun to talk about entertainment and dining options, than to deal with serious social issues.

However, we also decided that this is your paper, and that it would evolve into whatever you want it to be. Based on the comments and responses we’ve received lately, we clearly have touched a nerve in the community concerning the growing issues of the homeless, and this piece is part of our on-going follow up.

I had some misgivings when we printed the letter a few issues back about the makeshift camp that the homeless have established down by the river. The gentleman who dropped it off was pretty aggressive with his opinions, but I thought he made a few good points along the way. We honored his request that we not print his name. We had an idea that his letter would be volatile, and we didn’t want to encourage any retaliation against someone whose home address and phone number are readily available.

The passionate response in the last issue from Ruth Costello touched the hearts of a lot of Joes. Through her selfless work with her Grace House operation, hundreds of people get much needed clothing and household items to help them through troubled times.

In this issue we printed a letter from an individual currently receiving shelter from the YWCA, which gives an insider’s view of the situation.

In light of all of this response, we thought it made sense to talk to some of the local professionals that deal with this issue every day. Emotional opinions are fine, and we think we’re pretty liberal in giving the public a place to voice them. Fact and Figures however sometimes tell another story. I thought you deserved to hear some of them.

My fist stop was the YWCA where I met with Executive Director Jean Brown who took time from her busy schedule to meet with me. Her husband had dropped off the last issue of the Joe, and she had read with interest the letter that mentioned their organization and the services they offer. Jean was a great source of information, and clearly one of the individuals on the front-lines of this battle.

When the YWCA remodeled their shelter facilities in 2002 their average census for women and children was 11.5 persons daily. By contrast, so far this year to date, they are averaging over 45. This means with a maximum occupancy of 42, most nights find a few individuals on sofas in public rooms because all the beds are filled.

You can’t say our community has not made an effort to deal with homeless issues. The new Salvation Army facility, The Judah House and the soon to be opened My Brothers House, will have all opened their doors in the last three years. Still the need is greater than the supply of beds.

Continuum of Care is a blanket organization comprised of leaders from

Everybody knows the parable about the difference between giving a man a fish and teaching a man to fish. Clearly we do a great job of the former. I’d love to hear about local efforts towards the latter.

A comment I’ve heard several times is that a lot of people down by the river refuse the shelter options available until the temperature drops below freezing. Most facilities deny access to anyone obviously under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Violent individuals are denied admission as a safety measure for the other residents. Where are these people supposed to go?

According to several Downtown business owners, they wander the streets, accosting strangers for handouts. A local hair salon tells me they have a few every week that walk right in and ask for money. A bar owner tells me of indigents that come in and hurriedly down  the remaining swallows in glasses from vacated tables before they are escorted out.

Last Thursday as I left my Downtown office around 5pm I saw a disheveled man with far more clothes on than the weather would suggest, weave toward me on the sidewalk, bottle of wine in hand, before stopping to urinate on the front of the Townsend Lofts building. Nice! There’s a good picture for the next Convention and Visitor’s Bureau brochure. Walk your nose past any mid-block alley Downtown and there’s no question this isn’t an isolated incident.

It occurs to me that maybe the reason this problem continues is location location location. The homeless encampment..… Downtown. The shelters……Downtown. The food kitchen and free clothing outlets….. you got it, …Downtown!

Some of these individuals used to live at the former Green Acres Facility before that area was converted into one that more closely meets our city’s needs. Important things like Old Navy and Bed Bath and Beyond. It’s ok if people live by the river in cardboard boxes as long as we can get our trendy logo covered clothes and color coordinated toilet brushes.

Wouldn’t it be poetic justice if the homeless community moved back to the Northeast and set up camp around The Shoppes man-made drainage pond. Think of all the cardboard refrigerator boxes Home Depot throws out. The food kitchen could move right next to Panda Express. Day old eggrolls for everybody! And of course, with restrooms reserved for customers only, everyone could just go across the street and pee on Olive Garden. (Is this a TIF zone or a P… well, never mind). I wonder if this scenario could be so easily ignored.

For a large number of our residents this problem goes unseen. If you don’t venture Downtown much, these individuals don’t intrude on your pretty world that often. It doesn’t affect you. For Downtown residents and business owners it’s a growing problem that threatens the health and viability of this area’s revitalization efforts.

Here at The Regular Joe we heartily applaud the fine organizations who are addressing the needs of our less fortunate. We in no way want to contribute to the miseries of people who have enough already. But on the other hand, for those who refuse help that is available, so they can continue self-destructive behavior, I’m afraid I have to agree with our original letter writer when he said, “Either get them some help, or get them the hell out.”

I know this sounds harsh and opens us up for criticism. We certainly don’t have the answers to this problem, but our pages are open to you for any well stated opinion, whether you agree with us or not. Let us know what you think. Our contact info is right there on the front.