Some time ago I wrote a blog about whom the homeless were and how we are treating them. Since then there numbers have grown all over the country including my city. A little background about this issue is that I am and have been for 17 years on the board of a free medical clinic that treats those that have no insurance or Medicade patients that have no where else to go. About 10% of the homeless population are clients that we treat along with many of the legal aliens here for the university that are not eligible for Obama Care. For the last 3 years the city of Morgantown has been trying to get us to move our facilities out of the city as they believe the homeless will follow. They have succeeded in getting the Salvation Army to move their food kitchen which feed many of the homeless and also the United Way food pantry along with sleeping facilities for the homeless. We are the last holdouts but not for long. The city has offered $800.000 for us to buy another building out of the city and move from the present location in the city. We would have to agree to also move our Friendship House out of the city which is a place for people to receive aid in rehabilitation from drug and alcohol use. The money is coming from their Covid relief funds. There is no money for our operating costs which are derived from donations, the state, county and grants. Much of our care is given by volunteers.
In the past there has been little or no help from the city to treat patients but the police have been nearby to aid in unruly patients with drug and alcohol problems. We would not have that help any more and would have to rely on the Sheriff's department. Our patients within the city would have to find transportation to the new facility. The greatest problem that I have with the move is becoming more difficult to complete our mission of health care to those that need it the most. The funniest part of the move is that most of the homeless will stay in the city. The problem the city is trying to solve by hiding its most vulnerable and needy citizens. Out of sight is out of mind and those that use the city or work there can go about their merry way without being reminded that there are people that need help.
I have always been ashamed that I cannot solve the problem of homelessness and just throwing money at the problem just prolongs their plight. We feed them and give them a place to stay on cold nights but kick them out in the morning. At Health Right we try to control their chronic diseases and for some try to get them into rehabilitation if alcohol or drugs are their problem. Some are helped but most just continue to live the life that requires no responsibility for themselves. There never seems to be a way to return many of them to a normal life with a job and permanent shelter. We have been able to get some that lost their homes through eviction for non-payment of rent because their low paying job did not give them enough money to pay the current rents. The homeless are made up of many different groups with completely different problems from low income, addiction, mental illness, PTSD, and just giving up on life. To help these people there has to be an effort to help individuals, one at a time and solve each persons dilemma.
The city has been unable or unwilling to try anything to accomplish this such as pass an ordinance requiring property owners that rent housing to make a small percentage of their rentals low cost for those that cannot afford the present high rates. We have become a mini San Francisco where those that work in the city cannot afford to live there. They live up to 40 and 50 miles out of the city to afford housing. There has been no effort to build more rehab centers to treat addiction. There is no connection to the VA for help with veterans that are still suffering the affects of their service. There is no effort to try to make those being fed or housed at night to become responsible for some of the cost. They are left to use their money to buy drugs and alcohol with no responsibility for their personal care. These are all stabs at a hugh problem that haven't been tried and some cost very little. The city would rather spend a small portion of the money given to them by the US Government to remove people that do not fit their idea of a good citizen out of sight and out of mind.
I have been opposed to the move because of the very problem of out of sight out of mind. If we stop seeing the problem and those that need our help they will never receive the help they need. Perhaps we need some of the local Churches to step in and demand some answers from the city and their future plans for those citizens that are in need of help from their neighbors.
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