Solutions for the Homeless Problem are a Challenge to All Levels of Government
* Homeless in Rogers Park
As the rain falls, a homeless person sleeps on a park bench along the crumbling concrete path between Morse Avenue and Lunt in CAPS beat 2431. Word has it, by tomorrow afternoon, Joe Moore will have sanitized Loyola Park by running all the homeless people out of the park while he holds his annual political picnic. Monday things will be back to normal. . . . . Picture and More
Posted by Craig Gernhardt
The problem of homelessness is truly a profoundly complex and perplexing problem. Given the choice to be homeless or not be homeless almost everybody would take shelter. The problem isn't that easy though. Most people who are chronically homeless have problems beyond lack of financial resources. There are often addiction problems. There are often mental health issues. And their are also those who suffer from one as a result of the other and therefore have both mental health and addiction problems. Two things that are in very short supply these days would make a significant difference in reducing the homeless population; more capacity for the treatment of the mentally ill in our health system and more substance abuse treatment programing.
Neither of these problems are really City Council problems, but they are city problems nevertheless. This is an instance where the local level sees a problem and should work with higher levels of government to address the problem. I don't see this happening today. It is much more popular to provide health care to kids and seniors, which isn't to say that isn't important. They are all important and all need attention. Considering the governor cannot even work with his own party to get a budget together it doesn't seem like it will happen anytime soon.
As to Mr. Hole's point that the police will run the homeless out of the park for the big party tomorrow, I don't know. My sense is that while he seems to have some concern for them, he would like them run out every night. The truth of the matter is that without a solution, the problem simply moves to another location. I would like to see our Alderman, State Legislators and Congress people work on a program to increase the treatment for these to illnesses. Even that will not eliminate the problem, but it will help to provide options for those who want them or need them.
As the rain falls, a homeless person sleeps on a park bench along the crumbling concrete path between Morse Avenue and Lunt in CAPS beat 2431. Word has it, by tomorrow afternoon, Joe Moore will have sanitized Loyola Park by running all the homeless people out of the park while he holds his annual political picnic. Monday things will be back to normal. . . . . Picture and More
Posted by Craig Gernhardt
The problem of homelessness is truly a profoundly complex and perplexing problem. Given the choice to be homeless or not be homeless almost everybody would take shelter. The problem isn't that easy though. Most people who are chronically homeless have problems beyond lack of financial resources. There are often addiction problems. There are often mental health issues. And their are also those who suffer from one as a result of the other and therefore have both mental health and addiction problems. Two things that are in very short supply these days would make a significant difference in reducing the homeless population; more capacity for the treatment of the mentally ill in our health system and more substance abuse treatment programing.
Neither of these problems are really City Council problems, but they are city problems nevertheless. This is an instance where the local level sees a problem and should work with higher levels of government to address the problem. I don't see this happening today. It is much more popular to provide health care to kids and seniors, which isn't to say that isn't important. They are all important and all need attention. Considering the governor cannot even work with his own party to get a budget together it doesn't seem like it will happen anytime soon.
As to Mr. Hole's point that the police will run the homeless out of the park for the big party tomorrow, I don't know. My sense is that while he seems to have some concern for them, he would like them run out every night. The truth of the matter is that without a solution, the problem simply moves to another location. I would like to see our Alderman, State Legislators and Congress people work on a program to increase the treatment for these to illnesses. Even that will not eliminate the problem, but it will help to provide options for those who want them or need them.
Labels: 49th Ward, 60626, Homeless, Loyola Park, Rogers Park
