Art Cummings is right about homelessness. "There are no easy answers...it's a
complicated and challenging issue," the News-Times Editor Emeritus
wrote. His comments were part of his series
of Opinion pieces that, however insightful and thought-provoking, were bereft
of some of the realities that make moving Loaves and Fishes from its present
location to Faith Church a great idea.
Loaves and Fishes is a terrific organization that is
staffed by wonderful, dedicated volunteers who work tirelessly to feed the
down-and-out. Most of its clients aren't
homeless but people who migrate to New Milford from other towns or cities like
Danbury, where there are State services, because they've been told that the
food and shelter here are better than those that are available elsewhere. Some drive.
Some take the bus. Some are
dropped off by the police from other local Towns, the majority of which have no
services for the homeless at all. One
car even has New Jersey license plates. Thus,
New Milford has become an attraction because of the services that are offered
here including the meals at Loaves and Fishes.
That's a good thing for those truly in need but it's a bad thing because
we are also a dumping-ground for another type of "homeless."
Some of the Loaves and Fishes clients are convicted
criminals. Some have been arrested in
New Milford. There was a payphone on the
Green that provided just enough shelter to allow people to urinate there
repeatedly. One such repeat offender was
dubbed "The Urinator." He was
caught in the act by a photographer and the activity resulted in the removal of
the phone. He was a Loaves and Fishes
client.
Parents and their kids have frequent problems in the Library
with Loaves and Fishes clients who hang around there for shelter and bathroom
use and some parents are afraid to bring their children there at all. One parent told me in graphic terms that she
and her daughter couldn't use the bathroom because of a problem created by
someone who was there waiting for Loaves and Fishes to open. Extra
clean-up is frequently necessary for the bathroom, floors and furniture.
The Senior Center is in the same building as Loaves and
Fishes. There have been incidents of
theft and other crimes committed against Seniors, some of whom are now afraid
to come to the Center because of the Loaves and Fishes clients. A very expensive, key-fob security system had
to be installed because some clients used to hide in the upper floors of the
building so that they could stay there overnight.
Police resources are already stretched to their limits
yet Officers are repeatedly called to address problems in the Building, stops
are part of routine car and foot patrols and sometimes Officers must be posted
at the site due to fighting among clients. In the past year, there have been nine
criminal complaints, ranging from minor
breaches to trouble with clients, six ambulance calls and multiple parking
problems.
About a half-dozen "homeless" are a repeated, heavy
drain on the understaffed and overworked New Milford Community Ambulance. It's my understanding that on just one day a
short time ago there were three calls to the Green about inebriated persons. Can you imagine the disaster if there had been
a call at the same time for a person having a heart attack?
A lot of damage has been done over the years to the
Town-owned property that houses Loaves and Fishes. In addition to the physical damage, the
personnel from the Town's Maintenance Department
frequently respond to maintenance issues like having to clean up feces and
other body fluids in the bathroom floors and walls. There is a great deal of wear and tear on
carpets and furniture. On one occasion,
windows and doors were left open and pipes froze and burst.
The Bandstand requires frequent maintenance because some
of the Loaves and Fishes clients pass their waiting time digging and whittling
into it. Others harass strollers by
panhandling or threatening. Some block
access to businesses or the sidewalks just for fun. I know parents and grandparents who are
afraid to walk their children and grandchildren around the Green because of
these and other unfortunate behaviors.
Some business owners are afraid to report their problems to the Police
because they fear retribution.
You can easily imagine that this activity is very
discouraging to people who visit the Downtown with the thought of opening a
business. The Town is working diligently
to enhance commerce and this scares it away.
When Loaves and Fishes opened its doors long ago, most of
the other services that are available today -- like the food pantry run by
Social Services -- didn't exist to the extent that they do today and today the
homeless problem is a lot bigger than free meals offered by a soup
kitchen. The Town has added personnel to
Social Services and there are myriad programs at the Senior Center, Youth
Agency and others to assist those truly in need.
The Town's Clergy have devoted countless resources and
space in the struggle to find a resolution to the homeless problem, often to
their own detriment. I hope that they
will speak up soon about the problems and let us all know if they support the
move from its present location. It's
not very pleasant to have your wedding in one of our grand churches on the
Green and have your guests meet the homeless on the way in and out.
For a very long time, the Town has been working to find a
solution to the problem that works for the homeless, the taxpayers, the
Downtown and local businesses and doesn't adversely affect the economic growth
of the Town. Faith Church has graciously
and generously volunteered to host a new facility for the homeless and to
provide them with other necessary services. No one is trying to move Loaves and Fishes, they
are just trying to find it a more suitable location. The Faith Church idea is a win-win for all
concerned and I wholly support giving free HART bus service to needy New
Milford residents to get them there.
There are no easy answers.
