Response to Chapel Hill News Column
Chris Moran was kind enough to send out some of the letters to the editor printed in today's Chapel Hill News in response to my guest column that ran on Sunday, January 30.

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Some tampering brings unintended consequences

In Michael McGee’s My View column “Homelessness in Chapel Hill is a community issue” (CHN, Jan. 30), he says that “eroding work opportunities” and “lack of affordable housing” are two of the many reasons for homelessness. These problems are self-inflicted, since we are tampering with the job and housing markets.

When we institute the minimum-wage law, we eliminate all the jobs that aren’t worth that wage. There are also laws that have a similar effect by suppressing the low end of the housing market.

-- David Polewka, Chapel Hill

Shelter correct to separate men from women, kids

Homelessness and hunger are problems that should be almost non-existent in a wealthy country like America. Physical-health and mental-health services, focused on prevention, should be generally available in the United States. Those who oppose placing a homeless men’s shelter near residences and schools are aware of these anomalies in America. But those who have worked and saved for a home should have their investment and security protected.

Michael McGee has spoken for the IFC at Town Council meetings. He writes in The Chapel Hill News (Jan. 30, My View) that residents do not know who the IFC clients are. This dismissive attitude from shelter proponents will not solve the problems of poverty and homelessness. Orange County proposes a 10-year plan to end homelessness. The solutions to hunger and homelessness are long-range.

The petition signed by abuttors to Legion Road said we know how easily job loss, accidents, disease or divorce can make anyone homeless. Part of downtown Chapel Hill’s deterioration stems from the long presence of the IFC Shelter on a central downtown corner. Customers don’t often go to an area where men are wandering aimlessly all day and panhandling. Many will not use the town-owned parking lot at Rosemary and Church streets because of vagrants there.
Downtown revitalization is already happening partly because the IFC Shelter plans to move out. Our downtown will be the second national location of a designer store, and proposals are coming in for totally reconstructing lots 2 and 5 downtown.

We worry that Eastgate Plaza will lose the Starbucks, Outdoor Provision Company and upscale grocery if a homeless shelter opens nearby. A Tuesday Morning store is filling an empty spot in Ram’s Plaza. Chapel Hill should not disrupt new goods and services and an expanded tax base by locating a public nuisance near homes and businesses again.

The IFC saw the necessity to separate a men’s shelter from its women’s and children’s shelter off Homestead Road. This reason alone should keep a homeless shelter away from any residences, since many homes have women and children living in them and schools are nearby. Groups of men with life-coping-skills problems do not belong near schools and homes. The site on Millstone Road near a park-and-ride lot sounds far more feasible. Since park-and-ride lots need security supervision all day to prevent empty cars being vandalized, the security could also prevent vagrants and panhandlers from congregating throughout the lot. The Town of Chapel Hill should seek the highest and best use of land we own.

-- Laurice Ferris, Chapel Hill

-# posted by Michael McGee @ 10:23 AM