Homeless tents are a solution that we are not considering

John Curley’s opinion taken from the Aug. 12, 2016 Tom and Curley Show.

The City of Seattle is moving people out of the infamous homeless encampment known as the “Jungle.” The plan is to put them all in a holding camp near Safeco Field until it is decided what to do next. It’s yet another place for homeless tents.

Related: Seattle plans to move Jungle residents into SoDo holding camp

Should we take a step back and rethink how we handle homeless issues?

I saw a story that came out of the UK. They basically asked, “Why don’t we give everybody tents and allow them to live where they want to live?” Homeless tents are not just a phenomenon in Seattle.

There are people who feel safer in tents than they do in shelters. They feel better in a tent community than in a lonely apartment. I heard one story of a woman who lived in an apartment, she could afford it, but she was lonely. She didn’t have any connections and was happier in a tent community. She gave up certain comforts in life, but she had people that cared about her.

It seems like so many people, even in the Jungle, at least have their own sense of community and rules. People sort of felt like “this is how I want to live.”

The city has a problem with them living in homeless tents under I-5, so they will pull them from under there and put them someplace else. What is going to keep them from moving back? Are they going to spend the $2 million to put up a bunch of fencing that someone will cut down? Then people will move back in. My guess is, yes, we will be spending more money.

The Union Gospel Mission says that this will benefit the campers because the process to get people services can be long. And the holding camps will make it easier to connect people to those services. I would read between the lines on that.

I’m a huge fan of the Union Gospel Mission, but I would also say that if people are living in homeless tents in the Jungle of all places, they don’t want access the service. Union Gospel Mission goes in there. They know the people. They hand out sandwiches, blankets, and medical attention. They say “if you want to come out, let us know. We’ve got services for you.” People in the Jungle know the services are there.

So the question is: what stops everybody, once they are swept out, from returning to the Jungle?

If you want to be homeless and you want to stay out there, the city should leave you alone. Find some place for them. Give everybody a tent and let them have some kind of community.

You will never be able to eradicate homelessness. Not even with the $40 million we spend every year on trying to solve homelessness. You will never be able to do it. Like it says in the Bible, the poor will always be with us.

John Curley’s opinion taken from the Aug. 12, 2016 Tom and Curley Show.