HomeMy WebLinkAboutAudience CommentsSeptember12,2022ecee0DearMayorPavoneandRentonCityCouncilMembers,IwouldliketotalkaboutRenton’sdowntownhomelesscrisis.DearançlWolch,intheirbookLandscapesofDespair,provideaclueastowhythehomelessareconcentratedinparticularareas.Theystartedbylookingatthelocationofpublicinstitutionssuchashomelessshelters,foodbanksandotherorganizationsthatsupportandprovidereliefforlow-incomeandhomelesspeople.Whattheyfoundwasaclearpatternwithservicesconcentratedinrelativelysmallareasofacitytransformingtheseareasintowhattheycalled‘zonesofdependence’,effectivelytargetingareasinacityandcreatinganendlessfeedbacksystemwithnewserviceslocatingthemselveswheretheirclientarewhichinturndrawsevergrowingnumbersofclients,apracticeresultinginthecreationofwhattheycall“urbanghettosofthesociallydependent”.Thispractice,basedoutofgoodintensions,hasadevastatingimpactontheneighborhoodsandcommunitiesthathavebeentargeted.Theconceptof“zonesofdependence”hasbeensupportedbyanumberofstudiesthemostnotableaToronto’sstudywhichprovidesstrongevidenceoftheconcept’simpactonCanadiancities.Nowdon’tgetmewrong,Iamnotsayingthattheseservicesarenotneeded,whatIamsayingisthattheredesperatelyneedstobeaparadigmshiftinhowweprovidethemandhowwesupporteffectedcommunities.Atatimewhenpublicinstitutionshavepledgedthemselvestosocialjustice,equityandtransparency,toengageinpracticesthattargetspecificcommunitiesineffectturningthemintourbanghettosisflatoutwrong.Idon’tseehomelessissuesatTheLanding.IftheCityhasconcernsabouthomelessnessthenthereshouldbeaCitywideapproachtotheproblem.IftheCity’sapproachtoaproblemdisproportionallyimpactsaspecificareaoftheCitythentheCityhasamoralifnotlegalobligationtoadequatelyaddresstheimpacts.Ourcurrentmodelonhowwemanagehomelessissuesisafailedmodel.Afteryearsofendlessstudies,programs,promisesandtheexpenditureofbillionsofdollarsithasdonelittletonothingtosolvethisproblem.Somemayarguethatitsbiggestaccomplishmenthasbeenthecreationoftargetedurbanghettos.Thisfailedmodelmustbereplacedwithanewmodel,amodelthatdoesnotrelyonthesacrificeofonegroupinordertoserveanother.Amodelthatisfairandequitabletoallpartiesinvolved.Tobeclear,ifaCityresidentweretoplantoaccumulateagroupofpeopleforaneventintheCityofRenton,whetheritbeacarevent,aparade,amusic,food,artorhomelesseventtheCitywouldhavenoproblemholdingtheorganizersresponsibleforawiderangeofimpacts,toiletsandsanitation,traffic,noiseandpolicingjusttomentionafewandiftheorganizersdidn’tcomplytheCitywouldhavenoproblempreventingthegrouping/eventfromoccurring.Likewise,propertyownersintheCityhavenoshortageofrules,regulationsandrequirementsimposedonthembygovernmentagenciesandiftheyarenotfollowedtheCityhasnoproblempreventingpropertydevelopment.ItwouldbegoodtoknowthattheCityholdsitselfandallofitsresidentstosimilarstandards.SincerelyJeffDineen
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