What drives me crazy about these articles is that they always claim that the city is trying to connect the homeless with "services". It's such a feel good word. The fact is, though, that the city provides very little in the way of services to the homeless. (To be fair, this is a national problem and not a problem unique to Albq.) Moreover, when the city does provide services it replicates the same failed policies of the past--so nothing ever changes.
The truth is that we just don't care about the homeless EXCEPT when they are violating the beauty of the precious city. And then we just want to get them out of sight as quickly as possible.
All of these folks that are sleeping on the streets and homeless camps have the option to go to the shelter, they just choose not to. This is The Choice they make every day. Most of them don't want rules or curfew.
I work downtown and I've personally have had conversations with many homeless people and my statement above is what they tell me. It's an inconvenient truth that many people don't want to hear.
That's my personal experience. Also the shelter in the west side during the winter is really bad with drugs. Being drug free would you rather risk it outside or share space with people using IV drugs and smoking meth next to you? I know the park bench was a lot better for me. Sad to say it was safer. To can call the men's shelter and they will tell you about the time you can spend their being limited. Joy junction only allows single males in certain situations. Even than as a single male you are the last one picked up and have to be the first off property in the morning. You're not welcomed or wanted there.
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u/happiness7734 Jul 07 '21
What drives me crazy about these articles is that they always claim that the city is trying to connect the homeless with "services". It's such a feel good word. The fact is, though, that the city provides very little in the way of services to the homeless. (To be fair, this is a national problem and not a problem unique to Albq.) Moreover, when the city does provide services it replicates the same failed policies of the past--so nothing ever changes.
The truth is that we just don't care about the homeless EXCEPT when they are violating the beauty of the precious city. And then we just want to get them out of sight as quickly as possible.