It is easy to ponder from the confines of a warm environment. Maybe that’s the problem.
When you’re not worried about keeping dry and where you will safely sleep, ruminating is a luxury incompatible with survival.
So, in practical terms, giving thought to how the small group of homeless people at Memorial Park were doing during this week’s downpour was useless (except for, perhaps, making myself feel better about my own perceived compassion).
Still, I couldn’t help but wonder where they would be seeking refuge from the rain and wind that galloped through the county Tuesday night.
The nearest shelter, I thought, would be the adjacent parking structure. In the past I had seen handfuls of them set up beneath the concrete stairwells near empty parking spaces. But lately I haven’t seen them there.
There was also the possibility of their spending the night beneath various business alcoves along Third Avenue.
I’ve seen some men and women wrapped in blankets or sleeping bags tucked away in the nooks and shadows of various storefronts, including The Star-News. But lately some of those same businesses (including The Star-News) have displayed No Trespassing signs in their windows, making it a smidge easier for police to detain, ticket or scurry them away if they’re inclined.
The men and women without homes that I have known are, among other things, resourceful. While they have been familiar with me enough to reveal they are able to keep relatively dry in inclement weather, I assume they do not trust me enough to tell me how (and not wanting to pry I do not ask).
But the concern and question still lingers with me: where do they go?
A few weeks ago the City Council held a public discussion about ways to address this city’s homeless population. As might be expected, very few concrete answers were provided. Finding a one-size-fits all remedy to addressing the various needs of a population that lives on the streets is impossible. And impractical.
Some people want help, some people don’t. Some people are mentally unstable, some people aren’t. It’s a complicated issue that merits examination and, as a few people on Twitter have pointed out, other municipalities have already blazed trails in addressing the homeless issue — check out 25cities.com for starters.
But in the meantime, between the time we ponder the right approaches and solutions to helping people who live on the streets, there will be more rain. Smart people say El Niño is coming and storms are expected to pelt the streets with water. What becomes of the people who call the streets home? What do we do between now and then? Do we just sit back and ponder? Is that all we can do?
