Quote:
Originally Posted by TheHonestMaple
Since this type of discussion was not welcomed in the main downtown development forum, i've created this thread. Hoping that it can spur on some meaningful discussion on the topic of homeless shelters, safe injection sites, and the general state of our downtown as it relates to the homeless issue.
I want to discuss ways we can help the situation, what we are doing right and what we are doing wrong.
I understand it's a touchy subject, but criticising the city's handling of it should not be a taboo subject. I am extremely against any further development of homeless shelters in our downtown, including safe injection sites. It's just not the right path forward in my opinion for the neighbourhood, and makes the area less attractive for future development. I am also in the opinion that giving people in need things (drugs, etc) is not the solution. The solution is getting them on their feet financially (giving them a meaningful job).
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It's complicated but worth discussing.
How we create meaningful jobs for those people, who may not have many life skills let alone job skills, is a complex problem too. There are those who would not want to use public money to create or incentivize job opportunities, and businesses may not be interested in helping on the scale needed because they have profit to worry about (not saying that providing jobs for people who need help in that way can't be done profitably, but I think there are hurdles to getting the ball rolling and a stigma about hiring people addicted to drugs or alcohol)
But in my opinion, not providing them with services like shelters and medical facilities -- even if they're mostly "safe injection sites" -- is not the answer either.
Downtown Hamilton has suffered from the fact that there has been little else happening for so long, that the social problems stand out. Plus other nearby cities have
not provided the services needed within their own borders (why should they when there are plenty available just down the highway in Hamilton! or Toronto! save the cost of buildings and staff and spend it on cab fare for the homeless and addicted), so it's hard to keep up with the needs.
Future development may help with the first thing. Get more people downtown, and more activity, and the social issues are not as prominent. They're still there, but not as magnified. The second is more of a government problem -- if the province would upload more of these services and costs rather than forcing the municipalities to bear the burden, they can be planned and distributed more equitably.
We can't just ignore the problem though, or ship it somewhere else. It will still exist.