Marquart letter: Homelessness
In reference to Mayor Dave Bieter’s guest opinion (Dec. 19): “Allowing unsafe tent city to exist was inhumane,” some background information is necessary.
In 2007, following a year of study and public involvement, the city of Boise released a 10-Year Plan to Reduce and Prevent Chronic Homelessness. The effort, led by Bieter, was to serve as a guiding document on meeting the needs of chronic homelessness in our community. “We knew we needed a ‘housing first’ approach,” said Bieter.
The Housing First approach is not about adding more shelters; it is about focusing on permanent solutions for housing services and ensuring adequate availability of appropriate permanent housing stock.
Eight years have passed and this plan went nowhere. Cooper Court could have and should have been prevented if this plan had been implemented. By not implementing this plan, we allowed this unsafe tent city to develop. This, Mr. Mayor, is what is inhumane and immoral.
Cay Marquart, Boise
This story was originally published January 7, 2016 at 8:23 PM with the headline "Marquart letter: Homelessness."