Des Moines Register Pushing For Downtown Shelter To Be Moved, Despite Widespread Citizen Opposition
The Des Moines Register is calling for a controversial downtown homeless shelter to be moved away from a proposed proposed $160 million development to a new location by a northside neighborhood and park.
According to the Register:
A task force, which included elected officials, business leaders and a police chief, worked for several months exploring ideas related to a new shelter and services for homeless people. The task force discussed programming, funding and location. Public meetings were held. It looked at other shelters, including one in Davenport, to help determine best practices.
The River Bend Neighborhood Association has opposed moving the shelter, because:
- The city has not solicited true citizen input on the issue. For example, at a recent public meeting at the downtown library, City Manager Rick Clark did not allow any time for the hundreds of concerned citizens that attended to provided input, he refused input on the agenda for the meeting and he refused to answer questions;
- The people of Des Moines are not asking for new shelters, or for existing shelters to be moved;
- Existing shelters can meet the needs of the current homeless population;
- The Churches United Shelter accepts drug addicts, alcoholics and sex offenders. The current location of the Churches United shelter is a good one for this population, away from children, parks and homes;
- The city is putting the interests of developers ahead of citizens and the homeless in considering the move;
- If the city has more money available for helping the homeless, it should consider helping other shelters than Churches United, which City Councilwoman Christine Hensley has described as having a history of problems, and which is well-known to city police because of the tremendous number of calls it generates.
If the City of Des Moines has a real interest in the needs of the homeless, it should not spend millions on moving shelters to meet the needs of developers, it should spend the money on helping the needy through the existing shelters.
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