Our Brothers Keeper? | Inside Politics
Published 12:00 pm Friday, April 29, 2016
Are we our brother’s keeper? Do we have a responsibility to care for the weaker members of our society, the poor, the elderly and the homeless? And if so, what does that compassion look like?
Those questions have become part of the community debate after Mayor Jim Ferrell launched his Homeless Initiative to clear out the homeless encampments in Federal Way. Homelessness is not just a Federal Way problem; it’s a regional, state and national challenge. We have at least 263 homeless adults and may have as many as 300 homeless children here. Homeless advocates say it’s hard to get an accurate count as many may be rotating between relatives’ and friends’ couches.
Ferrell’s initiative, while wrapped in words of caring and compassion, seems to focus more on moving the homeless out of the city rather than ensuring they have a roof over their head, food to eat and are connected to services that might help them. They are provided with information about services, but many can’t use them because they have no transportation.
At the most recent City Council meeting, Ferrell stated that homeless people cannot be on public or private land in the city. What land are they supposed to be on? The city view seems to be that “they,” the homeless, are trespassers on public land. However, since advocates say most of the homeless in Federal Way have some family or historical connection to the city, maybe they should be considered part of “we,” citizens who are part of the “public” city that government is supposed to serve, rather than viewed as lawbreakers.
Deputy Police Chief Stephen Neal, who leads the effort, spoke about cleaning out the homeless camps and ensuring the homeless don’t return to them. When asked by councilwoman Susan Honda where the homeless people would go, planning staff member Jeff Watson acknowledged that there wasn’t really anywhere for them to go.
Is that how we’ll treat our homeless? By taking away the small plot of earth where they lay their head at night?
Homelessness is a tragedy that has befallen far too many of our neighbors. And it isn’t just about drug or alcohol abusers, whom the unfeeling might easily blame for their own plight. Many in our community who appear to lead comfortable lives are only two or three paychecks from sharing the streets with the people they used to pity. They keep the phrase “there but for the grace of God go I” in their heart daily. How long could your family last if the paychecks stopped?
Most agree housing is the biggest problem.
Are we our brother’s keeper? The answer might depend on where you live and who is setting policy rather than on family or biblical relationships. True compassion, caring and leadership are needed to solve this growing problem. But according to the Association of Washington Cities, leadership is being demonstrated in markedly different manners throughout our state.
In Olympia, leaders have set up Quixote Village, a group of very small houses that provide a roof and safety for homeless people. There is no plumbing or electricity. There is a community building. Each unit cost about $2,000 dollars to build, and the total cost, $102,000, was paid with funds available from Section 8. That’s $2,000 versus a jail cell at $114,986, or a small subsidized apartment at $239,396.
In Redmond, homeless encampments are allowed for up to 120 days and rotate between two church locations. By keeping those in need in a supportive and protected environment, social service providers can help them with their needs.
Seattle is well-known for its tent cities as it grapples with a bigger challenge. Tents only cost about $70.
Bellingham passed a housing levy and established an outreach team to head their effort, with back-up from police.
In Auburn, Mayor Nancy Backus appointed a Mayor’s Task Force made up of community, church and business leaders, in conjunction with social service providers, to recommend a plan. It’s due soon, but Backus said in February, “We can’t arrest our way out of this. We can’t keep pushing people from area to area, city to city. And we can’t turn away. If you’re homeless and need help, we are going to help you find it.”
What happens if Federal Way’s homeless get pushed to Auburn?
There are better solutions than handing the homeless a list of services they can’t get to, having an organization transport them to Seattle, or putting them in jail for trespassing. Those should not be an acceptable answers in this community.
The city somewhat reluctantly allocated $100,000 over two years to help toward a proposed day shelter. But the day center is only a start, and it doesn’t provide a place to sleep at night. And “we can’t afford it” is a familiar city refrain. But the city has spent $100,000 dollars on a branding study, $75,000 on a study to determine if a college campus is needed here, and $95,000 on a used piano for the new Performing Arts and Conference Center.
In Redmond, volunteers are working to raise money to establish a village for the homeless. Our volunteers have raised around $800,000 for the PAEC. Could that same group use their talents to address our homeless problem with a similar fundraising effort?
Shouldn’t there be a way to help the most in-need in our community?
Rather than clean out the camps and make our homeless someone else’s worry, we should try an approach that actually demonstrates compassion.
Why not keep several of the camps open and make them safer and more welcoming to the homeless? If donated land is unavailable, use public land. Wouldn’t that be a compassionate use? Buy enough tents to keep 300 people covered from the elements. Summer doesn’t last long in the Northwest, so pay for some of the tiny houses like Olympia’s for the coming winter. Hire a city staff person to be responsible for the camps, with police in a supportive role, who could also coordinate with social services providers, churches and the Employment Security Department on a daily basis regarding food, jobs, clothing, mental health, drug and alcohol counseling. Have the county donate a van to take camp residents to doctor appointments, church suppers and job interviews.
Misbehavior would not be allowed, nor would drugs or alcohol. The effort should be led by professionals that understand the needs of the homeless as opposed to the police department. Have enough of a police presence only to ensure that the homeless who want help can get it and feel safe and secure.
The current initiative treats homeless people as the problem rather than treating the reasons they are homeless.
Several leaders have said the true test of a society is not how they treat the strongest but how they treat the weakest.
Only one council member spoke out with questions, and nary a word of concern or objection was uttered by the rest. The citizens of Federal Way have demonstrated time and again a concern for those in need; surely we can find a way to treat our homeless with more respect and compassion than what has been shown.
This is one of those moments that every city faces as it matures. It is a test of its commitment to those in need. It’s easy at Christmas, but the challenge is here right now. When we look back on these days a year from now, will we be proud of our actions or the actions our leaders took in our name?
Federal Way resident Bob Roegner is a former mayor of Auburn: bjroegner@comcast.net
