Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s Mistake
Cristal M Clark
Much of the nation has a huge homeless problem, so much so in fact, the Supreme Court today will determine if regulations outlawing camping on public land are unconstitutional when there is no alternative for people without shelter. The case, City of Grants Pass, Oregon V. Jonson.
Many Denverites shake their heads in dismay and ask “how much more tax funding do these advocates want, what they want it all?” Advocates want to sell you a rose-colored story when the reality of the nations homeless issues runs rife with addiction, substance abuse, lack of affordable housing, mental health issues, health issues in general, criminal activity and a real lack of understanding at how all of it plays into our homeless populations.
So what’s got everyone so upset this week? Well, Denver is winding down the rapid re-houseless assistance program, leaving advocates crying unfair because the Mayor is not putting them into permanent housing. The program by the way has been around since former Denver Mayor Michael Hancock.
At any rate, these advocates get a resounding “get fucked” from me. The Mayor is not obligated to get them something longer term much less permanent. You do it, you go get some funding and provide it, don’t ask the Mayor or demand that he do it, it’s not something the city can afford and tax payers, well we certainly do not want to foot the bill. So I demand these advocates get the funding to provide longer term to permanent housing for our homeless.
I do get it, without a long-term plan in place the end of the program will leave many back on the streets again. One participant Cersilla Wolf said of the program “It worked, but it is it enough to support myself in a one-bedroom? No!”
“Mayor, do your job, myself and other people who are in the same program have to have permanent housing at the end of our terms.”
On the other hand, no taxpayer really wants to continue to pay into something that is already not working. In the case of Cersilla, has anyone bothered to study why she cannot support herself? Yes it is easier to demand that the Mayor do something, but shouldn’t Cersilla be doing more for herself, why the fuck should she get long term handout? A lot of people cannot afford a one bedroom in Denver and they were never homeless, so perhaps this twisted thinking of “I deserve what everyone else has but I don’t want to work for it,” needs to stop Cersilla.
Sure this program serves a purpose, it serves to enable drug use, criminal activity, it does not address mental health issues, substance and drug abuse issues, overall health issues and in no way readies a homeless individual who has been homeless for over a year to be an active part of any workforce.
Lack of affordable and workforce housing are driving the entire nation into a chaos, people are angry about it and at some point that anger will eventually boil over, it is never really a matter of if, but of when.
Mayor Mike Johnstons program is failing because it fails to address the real issues that cause someone to become homeless. Once out on the streets, you lose people mentally if they are living on the streets for too long. They turn to drugs, crime and basically lose their minds. It takes a lot of effort to bring someone back from the brink, not just some temporary housing where they may or may not end up shot.
The advocates, well they fail too, they fail to raise enough of their own funding so as to create housing here. But then again no one wants to fund permanent housing for people who fail to get the actual help that they need so as to address their individual issues, now don’t they? I know multiple homeless people who refuse to take the medication they should be taking so that they are more mentally healthy, they refuse to work, stop using, stop committing crimes, they don’t want to work full-time, the list is pretty substantial, but these advocates, well they don’t want to tell you that part of it, whilst Mayor Mike Jonston and Polis just sit idly by pretending all of those issues do not exist.
We have an entire group of homeless individuals here in Denver that believe committing crimes is better than actually working, they want housing, food assistance and medical care but they do not want to work. Why would anyone want to fund that lifestyle short term, much less long term.
If the issue were simply just affordability that would be one thing but it is not and anyone telling you that it is, is lying. The issues causing people to be homeless and not be able to get out of it are deep and long and we have yet to bother to address any of those issues. These Advocates and the Mayor really don’t want you to know the full extent of the truth, for two reasons, you wouldn’t support the game and they don’t even understand it themselves.
Mayor Mike Johnston would do better to enforce strict rules and guidelines moving forward for anyone seeking assistance to get off of the streets. Drug testing, mental health help, address health issues, addiction issues and the like.
Remember, you have to help those that are willing to help themselves, institutionalize those that are unable to work or be part of society due to mental health issues, hospitalize the sick who are unable to properly care for themselves and jail the criminals who refuse to abide by the law. Provide workforce training beyond someone having to work at WalMart and stop helping immigrants so much so that we can focus on our own for a change.
Cristal M Clark
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