Within a few days, there was a backlash to Mr. Carpenter's article, much of which distorted what he was saying. I updated this post on 1/20/2015 to reflect some of the unfair criticism sent Mr. Carpenter's way. I think the most important thing to remember is that Mr. Carpenter is committed to getting the homeless into housing, even if others might disagree with his approach. Also, Mr. Carpenter has extensive first hand experience helping and working with the homeless, and is not just ignorantly "shooting from the hip".
Let's look at Mr. Carpenter's main points in the article. I provide commentary where clarification may be needed:
(1) 10 Year Homeless Plan Not Working: Agreed. 7 years in, and there are more homeless people than ever. Why do I appear to be the only one who is upset about the lack of progress? Should somebody be fired for not "carrying out the plan?" Apparently, this was not a real goal that anyone expected to meet. How sad.
(2) Housing First is the Best Approach: Agreed. The new "50 Now" program is currently doing this, but its just not enough. As of this writing, only about 14 to 17 of the 50 in the program have housing. Why, you ask? I am told that it is because there is none available for the program - there is no "affordable housing" out there for anybody.
(3) We Should Not Build the New Homeless Services Center (HSC): Mixed. As I have said all along, I would prefer it be built than not be built, but I agree with Mr. Carpenter that I would rather put the funds to other uses serving the homeless, including "Housing First" programs. First, I don't believe the new shelter will stay within budget, at least not if the drawings and artistic renderings are any indication of the degree of construction difficulty. To see what I am referring to, go to this link: New SLO Homeless Services Center.
Concerns about the new HSC:
1) Construction cost overruns (above).
2) Restricted operations after opening due to citizen complaints.
3) Loss of faith-based volunteers when the overflow program ends.
4) Lack of operational funds (larger facility serving more clients means higher operational costs and overhead); if operational funds are lacking now - what will happen when the utility bills and number of homeless clients served increases?
5) Building a "taj mahal" to the homeless, when a "down and dirty" facility is "the right tool for the job". The homeless are used to the grit of the street - who are we trying to impress with the new HSC that looks more like an art museum or a fancy library? The design better serves those who give tours of the facility, rather than the homeless, who are just "trying to get in out of the rain".
Main Benefit of HSC: As I have said many times over, the main benefit to the new HSC is that all homeless services will be combined under one roof - a huge operational and services upgrade.
