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xxJeffFoxworthyxx t1_jcq7ch1 wrote

Reply to comment by Marlinspikehall32 in Elicker forcibly evicts and demolishes tent city by YankeeinNCandIhateit

That’s just the thing: this wasn’t fixed compassionately.

The city just scattered them. Nobody who lived there is any better off now.

I wouldn’t call that compassion.

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Marlinspikehall32 t1_jcqq0dz wrote

I agree but not understanding why people just want a festering problem to go away is why we end up here. It needed to have been addressed a long time ago. It needed to have been addressed over five years ago when we had the homeless encampment down by the mill River.

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buried_lede t1_jcqw022 wrote

I understand why someone would want a festering problem to go away. I have felt that way myself but shouting that out publicly means that’s the part of the views I hold that I want heard the most and what should shape public policy. That’s the last thing I’d do, because I think it makes terrible public policy and solves nothing. I remind myself these are human beings we are talking about. And for every wandering person who seems dangerous or maybe has been violent there are 10 who are just trying to get out of poverty

You realize everyone living in the encampment is now scattered around new haven’s neighborhoods really at a loss and way more likely to appear in your life now than before. You realize they are 10 times needier when their possessions are destroyed, and the city has done this multiple times over the years, thus increasing new haven’s burden. He’s pushed them back to the New Haven Green and other neighborhoods

They should have donated a couple Porto potties to the site and left it in place until a solution could be found but the city is lacking in imagination and any guts..

I don’t know why Elicker was in such a panic over an allegedly “ permanent fixture” he thought they were building ( a shower? I don’t know) it’s not like that gives them any new legal status he has to worry about.

Towns have been pressured to do more and many of them are trying to catch up to state law minimums for affordable housing now, finally, but bottom line, most gravitate to new haven anyway because it’s compact and loaded with public transportation

You say the encampment is causing so many problems, then talk about desperate people causing problems on “your doorstep”, well, bulldozing the camp put desperate people on doorsteps and sidewalks and the Green etc. The camp was solving a problem better than that

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Marlinspikehall32 t1_jcqxxkn wrote

I would guess he received a lot of pressure from someone.

I agree this is a growing problem around the country and I would like to see the state address the problem. We need to provide stable affordable or free housing for people who are unable to take care of themselves or need a little help.

But people cannot just look at one side of the issue. They must understand all sides and the force this exerts on public policy to be able to deal the the problem appropriately. How many of the people here on this forum have attempted political and social solutions? All we hear is wringing of hand and gnashing of teeth and then surprised pikachu face when something happens like this instead of attempting to find a solution. How many become active in truly addressing this problem? How many will try to force our elected officials to find a solution? Collectively we are all to blame.

the problem is that people act like this is a singular problem and don’t solve the problem and of course they will just find some where else to start a new camp.

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buried_lede t1_jcrr9jo wrote

True about people needing to be involved, but if you view the public hearings on this, a lot of people are involved, and they know a lot, they don’t just gnash their teeth, they approach the city with ideas. The city responds to those ideas by utterly ignoring them and going in with a bulldozer, so I guess it takes even more people, and discovering more levers to pull. I guess you have to get the chamber of commerce on board

I don’t know what it is about getting elected in New haven but the minute you do, you become a rock on the bottom of a stream with no eyes, ears, heart, etc

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