Homelessness: Puyallup is abdicating its responsibility

Re: “Pierce County offers Puyallup homeless center money- with a catch” (TNT, 10/13).

This solution to give New Hope money as long as they move feels like a response of a vocal minority of citizens rather than a reasoned approach for long-term benefit of our city.

It seems that by conditioning the grant on New Hope finding a new location, the city is abdicating its responsibilities to address homelessness. The Council needs to move beyond its reactive stance to a particular situation and articulate its plan for addressing homelessness on an ongoing basis. The scale of homelessness experienced in Puyallup, the state of Washington, and nationally requires the partnership of and significant resources from government, in this case local government.

The solution is not just to put New Hope somewhere else, but to work in partnership with service providers, funders, and the community to adequately address the needs of one of the most vulnerable groups in our community.

The city must recognize and communicate to its citizens. Puyallup is like every other community in this country: all have a homeless population. These are individuals, families, and children who are entitled to be treated humanely and have access to the various services and support that allow them to get back on their feet, support themselves and contribute economically to the city.

This story was originally published October 17, 2016 at 3:14 PM with the headline "Homelessness: Puyallup is abdicating its responsibility."