Baltimore Homeless (Mayo: houses, dangerous, bus)

[Woodlands]

I came across this article... I agree that homelessness in Baltimore is a problem, but does the city have to stand up an entire new agency to deal with it?? What is the Dept. of Human Services for? What is the Baltimore Housing Dept for? Cant we just resource these agencies appropriately as opposed to creating an entire new bureaucracy? The millions of dollars to staff such an agency could be used to convert existing vacant city owned row houses into transitional housing for the homeless. It just baffles me that we would need to create an entirely new agency in a cash strapped city to deal with it. The article notes the money will come out of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund... which I assume is money proffered from developers building high end housing around the waterfront so that they don't have to include such units in their developments.. BUT.. when development slows down or there is a recession...then what? The taxpayers will be footing the bill to cover the gap...So its really six on one side half a dozen on the other.. Use the money to build bricks and mortar housing for homeless and make the existing agencies responsible for managing them and the services...... I doubt this bill passes as Jack Young is a lame duck and is likely salty that Homeless Advocates have been pestering him and likely part of the reason why he lost... So, we will see what the next Mayor does....




https://baltimorebrew.com/2020/08/18...e-the-council/

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by Woodlands

I agree that homelessness in Baltimore is a problem,
but does the city have to stand up an entire new agency to deal with it??
is the Dept. of Human Services for? What is the Baltimore Housing Dept for?

A new/different agency allows the angry/frustrated a new/different target for their anger and frustration
(and the stupid ideas some hope might actually remedy the problem*)...
and allows those other agencies to attend to their actual mandate responsibilities. Well, hopefully so.

Until ALL of the cities with these common problems (and the dozen other similar/related) with these chronic net consumers of public wealth
can act in a unified, comprehensive and holistic manner -- all we're left with is a 'squeezing of the balloon' -- shifting the burden around.


*My money (literally even) is on bus tickets back to the County of their birth or their parents/grands birth.

[santafe400]

Have you guys driven/walked around the new 414 Light Street building downtown? There are nothing but homeless people on all sides of that building.

[Digger 68]

Use to be an encampment in that small square next to Boston Street.

And remember that long curved stone bench that was in front of the Kona Grill? That was dangerous looking.

Did't they clear out an encampment under 295 a few years ago.

[santafe400]

I think there are still a small number of encampments adjacent highway ramps in and around Baltimore. It's just that most people don't notice them.