Reply to Let's join forces to scrap the current homeless shelter plan and start over

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Once again, all this discussion about what Bowser's plan is for making sure the 8 shelters don't just become 8 mini-DC Generals, with all the attendant problems, is exactly the sort of thing that she should have put forth at the *beginning* of this process.  If she had explained the steps she'd be taking to ensure the 8 shelters will be run well and won't negatively impact the neighborhoods, there would be a lot less opposition.  But since she has just been strong-arming the neighborhoods into taking the shelters, and seemingly has given no thought to how the shelters will be integrated as functioning members of the communities, there is pushback.

Terrible plan - poorly executed.[/quote]

Some of this stuff was in the plan.  More to the point though, let's not kid ourselves.  People are not opposed to the shelters because they are experts in providing temporary shelters for homeless families and disagree with the nuts and bolts of the Mayor's proposal for how the shelters will be run.  The opposition is due to the fact that the shelters will be located near Ward 3 homeowners, and they don't like it.  No plan would satisfy them except for changing the location of the shelters.[/quote]

I disagree.  When this issue first appeared, I read the plans.  I'm certainly no expert on the design and management of homeless shelters, nor did I ever claim to be.  But it's not hard to see that Bowser's plan made no effort to integrate the shelters into the neighborhoods, or to ensure they will be operated efficiently.  The plan makes a passing reference to "Good Neighbor Agreements" that will be discussed later when the shelters are ready to open, so the neighbors will see that the shelters will be good neighbors.  But that's it.  There's no indication what will be in those Good Neighbor Agreements, or whether they will have any effect.  There also was clearly no effort to engage the communities before Bowser issued her ultimatum about where the shelters would be located.

You keep claiming that the sole reason for opposition is that the shelters are located near Ward 3 homeowners who don't want them.  You're simply wrong.  First, you're wrong to single out Ward 3, because other homeowners in other Wards have raised the same concerns.  Second, you're simply wrong about my reasons for opposition.  I live about as far away from the closest planned shelter as Mayor Bowser herself does (which is pretty damn far!).  My life experience in Ward 3 won't be hampered one bit by the shelter.  My reason for opposing Bowser's plan is that it's a half-baked scheme which will just spend money inefficiently without any real chance of reducing homelessness or its problems.  It's just a political maneuver that Bowser is using to help her next election.

Indeed, I'm betting that you don't live anywhere near any of the planned shelters either, and the real reason you support the current plan is that it puts them in someone else's backyard, which keeps them far away from you.  Sounds to me like you're the real NIMBY here.[/quote]

You are right that I don't live anywhere near the shelters.  You are not right to say that I support the plan.  I think it has flaws that can and should be fixed.  And I think the way to fix them is to be honest.  We can fix the problems of lack of a Good Neighbor Plan.  We can fix the fact that they cost too much.  We can fix the design if the design (aka, no private bathrooms or kitchens) is not right.  Those are fixable problems and we should focus on fixing them.  But after we fix all that, there is still going to be major opposition to this plan.  And it's won't be because there are some technical flaws with the plan - it will be because the plan gives shelter to homeless families in places where people do not want to shelter homeless families.[/quote]

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