Tenleytown Library homeless issue

[Anonymous]

I was at the Tenleytown Library with my children this past week and was appalled by the offensive smell and condition in the vestibule from a few homeless individuals that were camping out on the benches. When we walked in the door, my child reactively gagged at the smell.

I understand that it’s cold and I understand there are deep social issues and complexities but the solution cannot be allowing homeless individuals to camp out in public spaces, forcing children to deal with the situation in order to pick up a book.

One of the individuals was also acting in a concerning way that made me question mental stability.

I will not take my children there again. It’s really unfortunate and unfair to allow a library entry vestibule to prevent safe and comfortable access into and out of the library.

[Anonymous]

Instead of disparaging these unfortunate people, you could’ve helped them.

I’m sure you have a guest bathroom and can afford basic grooming supplies if you live in upper NW? How about offering them the use of your bathroom and laundry to clean themselves up? Do you think they enjoy not bathing?

As a mother, you should really be ashamed of the example you’re setting for your children. Instead of teaching them compassion for the less fortunate, you’re teaching them to fear them. That’s seriously vile and gross.

You really are a bad person.

[Anonymous]

I’m surprised to learn that homeless people have finally entered NW DC. The rest of us have been dealing with this issue for decades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m surprised to learn that homeless people have finally entered NW DC. The rest of us have been dealing with this issue for decades.

+1. It sounds like this person has never gone by MLK Library at anytime over the past 30 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Instead of disparaging these unfortunate people, you could’ve helped them.

I’m sure you have a guest bathroom and can afford basic grooming supplies if you live in upper NW? How about offering them the use of your bathroom and laundry to clean themselves up? Do you think they enjoy not bathing?

As a mother, you should really be ashamed of the example you’re setting for your children. Instead of teaching them compassion for the less fortunate, you’re teaching them to fear them. That’s seriously vile and gross.

You really are a bad person.

I’m SURE this is what you would have done, right?

-NP

[Anonymous]

Homeless library smell has been a thing for years. It’s really unfortunate, and makes visits unpleasant. I feel bad for the staff. It’s a given I feel bad for the homeless, but also that there’s nothing that can be done about it. These beautiful libraries are not safe for children and mostly sit as tombs with books and people slowly rotting.

[Anonymous]

I don’t understand why there can’t be day homeless shelters. Set up a facility so homeless can go to the bathroom and hang out in instead of using libraries and public transportation.

People need to have more sympathy for the poor/working class who use public transportation and want to use libraries. They should have a right to use these public places without vagrants interfering with their quiet enjoyment

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why there can’t be day homeless shelters. Set up a facility so homeless can go to the bathroom and hang out in instead of using libraries and public transportation.

People need to have more sympathy for the poor/working class who use public transportation and want to use libraries. They should have a right to use these public places without vagrants interfering with their quiet enjoyment

As someone who's worked with the unhoused for years, I can tell you many don't want shelter. There are almost always significant mental health challenges that contribute.

Police used to arrest them for minor offenses, when others find them to be inconvenient and call 911, like the smell and blocking people when walking into to a public facility (merely being there isn't trespass but blocking public right of way is). But that is a bad "solution" for a lot of reasons. Not the least of which is they are back on the street in a matter of hours. So what was the point other than to give them a criminal record?

It's a mental health issue butting up against multiple constitutional issues. And there truly isn't an easy answer.

[Anonymous]

All the libraries are like this. Not the smell necessarily but if they’re close to a shelter that kicks people out at 7am they walk to a library or A fast food place to get out of the cold.
I talk to my kid about the situation when we see it, I don’t avoid the situation, it’s reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Instead of disparaging these unfortunate people, you could’ve helped them.

I’m sure you have a guest bathroom and can afford basic grooming supplies if you live in upper NW? How about offering them the use of your bathroom and laundry to clean themselves up? Do you think they enjoy not bathing?

As a mother, you should really be ashamed of the example you’re setting for your children. Instead of teaching them compassion for the less fortunate, you’re teaching them to fear them. That’s seriously vile and gross.

You really are a bad person.

You can have compassion for the homeless and still lament the fact that a lack of effective programs for them has a negative impact on public spaces, like libraries. Your holier than thou reaction is silly and does nothing to address the real issue that OP raises.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Instead of disparaging these unfortunate people, you could’ve helped them.

I’m sure you have a guest bathroom and can afford basic grooming supplies if you live in upper NW? How about offering them the use of your bathroom and laundry to clean themselves up? Do you think they enjoy not bathing?

As a mother, you should really be ashamed of the example you’re setting for your children. Instead of teaching them compassion for the less fortunate, you’re teaching them to fear them. That’s seriously vile and gross.

You really are a bad person.

Nice troll post! How much does Putin or the CCP pay for this type of stuff?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was at the Tenleytown Library with my children this past week and was appalled by the offensive smell and condition in the vestibule from a few homeless individuals that were camping out on the benches. When we walked in the door, my child reactively gagged at the smell.

I understand that it’s cold and I understand there are deep social issues and complexities but the solution cannot be allowing homeless individuals to camp out in public spaces, forcing children to deal with the situation in order to pick up a book.

One of the individuals was also acting in a concerning way that made me question mental stability.

I will not take my children there again. It’s really unfortunate and unfair to allow a library entry vestibule to prevent safe and comfortable access into and out of the library.

Not to worry. They will all soon be housed in the buildings along Wisconsin. Matt and his team are on it. Thank you for flagging.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why there can’t be day homeless shelters. Set up a facility so homeless can go to the bathroom and hang out in instead of using libraries and public transportation.

People need to have more sympathy for the poor/working class who use public transportation and want to use libraries. They should have a right to use these public places without vagrants interfering with their quiet enjoyment

This x 1,000! I absolutely hate the most extremely upper class people here who virtue signal and mock people for caring about this when they never set foot in public libraries and can afford to avoid interacting with the issues that normal middle class and working class people have to deal with every day. It’s easy to dismiss concerns about school overcrowding when your children go to Sidwell Friends. It’s an easy to dismiss the concerns raised in this thread when you never use a public library.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why there can’t be day homeless shelters. Set up a facility so homeless can go to the bathroom and hang out in instead of using libraries and public transportation.

People need to have more sympathy for the poor/working class who use public transportation and want to use libraries. They should have a right to use these public places without vagrants interfering with their quiet enjoyment

As someone who's worked with the unhoused for years, I can tell you many don't want shelter. There are almost always significant mental health challenges that contribute.

Police used to arrest them for minor offenses, when others find them to be inconvenient and call 911, like the smell and blocking people when walking into to a public facility (merely being there isn't trespass but blocking public right of way is). But that is a bad "solution" for a lot of reasons. Not the least of which is they are back on the street in a matter of hours. So what was the point other than to give them a criminal record?

It's a mental health issue butting up against multiple constitutional issues. And there truly isn't an easy answer.

The constitutional issues have been resolved. This is now a political issue. Vote wisely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand why there can’t be day homeless shelters. Set up a facility so homeless can go to the bathroom and hang out in instead of using libraries and public transportation.

People need to have more sympathy for the poor/working class who use public transportation and want to use libraries. They should have a right to use these public places without vagrants interfering with their quiet enjoyment

As someone who's worked with the unhoused for years, I can tell you many don't want shelter. There are almost always significant mental health challenges that contribute.

Police used to arrest them for minor offenses, when others find them to be inconvenient and call 911, like the smell and blocking people when walking into to a public facility (merely being there isn't trespass but blocking public right of way is). But that is a bad "solution" for a lot of reasons. Not the least of which is they are back on the street in a matter of hours. So what was the point other than to give them a criminal record?

It's a mental health issue butting up against multiple constitutional issues. And there truly isn't an easy answer.

The constitutional issues have been resolved. This is now a political issue. Vote wisely.

This. Ronald Reagan made it so these lunatics were let out of asylums. Go back to where it was before that. It is not more humane to let people sleep in the cold or in libraries while high and drenched in their own urine than to keep them in a warm, secure environment where they can get the therapy and medication they need.

Unfortunately it became “woke” to have no problem with people getting high, sleeping in public places, and wallowing in their own urine and feces. It’s almost like Putin or some other foreign power psyoped people into thinking this to damage our country.