This does not mean that neighborhoods are anti-homeless or heartless. They have a point. To build what may be the largest consolidated homeless project between the Mississippi and the West coast in our town, let alone in one of the smallest, poorest, neighborhoods is disproportionate to both. Colorado Springs cannot jeopardize, let alone destroy, another viable working class neighborhood. The new shelter proposal insists that consolidated services are better services.
Big cities tear down huge, unmanageable housing projects.
Years ago, as the director of the soup kitchen, I advocated that Colorado Springs have ten soup kitchens, each one serving 35-40 people, rather than one big one serving 350 or 400. What is economical in the marketplace is not always economical in social work. Before we put another neighborhood at risk with a bad social experiment and spend money for what is not needed, let's give the idea some more thought. These days I wear blaze orange with less anxiety. It didn t take me long to figure out that a healthy fear of guns is a good thing.