Posted on 01/20/2007 11:32:39 AM PST by Cagey
A controversial proposal in Daytona Beach, Fla., would create a special village to house hundreds of the county's homeless people, Local 6 News has learned.
Volusia County Council members are expected to consider a plan to build the Tiger Bay Village and treatment facility for the area's 2,500 homeless community.
"Although it is only in its exploratory stages, developers for the Tiger Bay Village say it is invaluable," Local 6's Tarik Minor said.
Developer Michael Arth is proposing to build a 5,600-bed community on a 125-acre lot of rural land.
The village will provide shelter, psychiatric help and the support of neighbors.
"This is for the people who can't work and can't integrate themselves into society," Arth said. "The answer is not to build a Hooverville of tents and trailers but to make these buildings attractive enough so that if you or I would went there, we would say, 'Wow, I'd live there.'"
Critics worry that the Tiger Bay Village will only promote homelessness and that the population will relocate to rural areas.
Arth said homeless people are costing taxpayers millions of dollars every year.
He said building a village is better than putting Band-Aids on the problem.
"I would go to the village to get out of the weather and the cold," homeless man Daniel Hector said.
crack,yes.
smoking,no.
The entrance is a revolving door. Once they're in, they're no longer homeless, so they have to leave.
Some hippie communes tried this in the 60's and 70's ... nice little socialist compounds.
I did.
And I did...
Then what will the organizers of this village do? If it's for homeless folks only, and they are no longer officially "homeless," doesn't that make them ineligible to be a resident in their village?
In order to work, doesn't a village for the "homeless" need to be simply a revolving door...where the "homeless" are turned out a few days each week before letting them back in?
I liked the Daytona police chief's idea better--give them all 1-way tickets on a Greyhound. (Oversimplifying slightly, but not a joke.)
Homelessness is a big problem in Daytona, to the point that it affects the town's already dying tourist business. Entire beachfront motels are de facto homeless shelter/drug markets.
Well I guess they will no longer be Homeless then
Dignity's begun hosting weekly craft classes in collaboration with one of the local high schools.
Isn't that nice? Craft classes -- I guess with all of their available leisure time, learning to do crafts makes a lot of sense. Sure beats the daylights out of the drudgery of learning something useful, like job skills.
You said -- "That second link hasn't been updated since 2005 but here's one of the latest notes from it"
I didn't notice that. I think it was around 2004 (sometime during the year) that Dignity Village had to move from the edge of downtown Portland to further out. I don't know where they are now. Since it was in the news at that time, I wanted to go down there and see what it looked like. They were in the middle of packing up for their move. It was interesting to see, at any rate.
Here's another interesting link --
http://www.streetroots.org/index.php
The Street Roots paper is something that is printed and is sold by the homeless (or people who are not homeless, too). I know that you have to be "qualified" by the paper to sell it, so they don't get some homeless people trying to intimidate others (jusually in the downtown area) into buying the paper or getting more than just the price of the paper. They have a "pin-on badge" that is your authorization to sell the paper. It doesn't cost anything to be a dealer, other than the base cost of the paper (which I imagine is paid for afterward, by the dealer).
I don't know how much it is now -- but it used to be a dollar. And the majority of the money went to the person selling the paper to make his money for living and whatever. At least it was something "industrious" to do and involved a bit of "capitalism" in getting their money every day.
Regards,
Star Traveler
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
I'll just bet that tourists will be flocking to the "Homeless Village." I know that I would.
yeah I was noticing that too.
BTW - 9-11 was a Bush conspiracy, this newspaper has figured that much out.
wow.
LOL and immediately upon the first night's stay, they are no longer "homeless" and therefore get evicted with a bus ticket to elsewhere! Wouldn't that be a nice twist to it all?
Will they be shopping at the HOMEless DEPOT next door?
Should be easy to build. An empty feild would do.
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