I had hoped to find a single cause for this problem and initially hypothesized that the primary issue was a lack of affordable housing. Quite a while before completing the article I saw two separate problems come into view. Affordable housing is one these twin peaks. The second is the social dysfunction caused by addiction and mental illness.
My aim was to help shed light on what has been going on with the hope that there will be increased dialogue on these matters.
It was surprising how many pronouncements there have been, both at the national and local levels, regarding "putting an end to homelessness." One of the most insightful discussions I had was with former mayor Don Ness, who essentially stated that politicians vowing to "end" or "solve" an issue like homelessness will only create frustration, because when the money is spent and the problem hasn't gone away it looks like failure.
The better path, he feels (as I understand him) is to keep doing things to help matters improve, and to not assume it will ever be completely resolved. It's complicated, but we can't sweep it under the rug and it needs sustained attention.
As regards affordable housing, this is also an immense problem that needs to be addressed. My aim these next several months is to get a better understanding of the obstacles we're facing as a city. Just because the problem is shared by many other cities does not mean we don't have our own unique contours. Duluth has succeeded at selling itself as "a place to want to be." Unfortunately, the housing supply is crimped, hence we see skyrocketing prices in the real estate market. The same goes for rental housing.
If you have any thoughts you wish to share regarding affordable housing in Duluth (or the lack thereof) please leave a comment below, or send an email to ennyman3@gmail.com.
IN PLAIN SIGHT
After spending days attempting to subdue profane shouting matches among customers, managers of a popular downtown Duluth cafe put away their tables and chairs for three weeks last month and only served takeout. It's one of many downtown firms struggling to address a problem that business owners believe has been downplayed by local government and law enforcement leaders.
Homelessness has impacted the Twin Ports region for decades and remains a pressing issue for a number of social, humanitarian and economic reasons. In this article, BusinessNorth will focus on how homelessness in our region impacts the business community. To be clear, the majority of downtown offenses such as vandalism, panhandling and public intoxication are not necessarily started by people experiencing homelessness. Neither do the great majority of people experiencing homelessness commit crimes. But homelessness is a challenge in Duluth, and one that affects the business community. People we spoke with downtown are frustrated by the impact this is having on their companies but were reluctant to speak on the record. As one business owner said, “It's problematic. We're empathetic, but it keeps customers away.”
Read the full story here: In Plain Sight
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