Dear editor,
So the people of Comox don’t like the government housing the homeless at the Port Augusta?
Neither did the mostly senior residents when the City of Courtenay pushed “The Junction” onto the 8th Street neighbourhood and no one else cared. Where is the lady who was not being affected and spoke of this being so positive she was going to plant flowers so they could be enjoyed? Not one flower and I’m not surprised. As long as it wasn’t her home and neighbourhood being affected once the meetings were over she didn’t care. Just like the then mayor and council.
All the fears expressed to council that were poo-pooed have occurred. People wandering the neighbourhood, yelling and fighting around The Junction, open drug dealing and using, injecting out in the open, an obvious fire pit just off the train tracks, congregation of homeless around that area and still at least one tent set up behind in the bushes. The garbage left behind is disgusting. Generally speaking, it seems they feel entitled to do as they want, and we owe it to them to give them parks for tent cities and now hotels when we have to work so hard to maintain our decent level of living.
No, I don’t have a solution. Yes, I realize some homeless are in that situation due to circumstances beyond their control. I feel the government failed when they shut down institutions for people suffering mental disorders, putting them onto the streets, setting them up for failure.
Yes, there are drug addicts who want and need help. Sadly, there are a lot of homeless who do not want to try to help themselves and feel entitled to disregard being a contributor to society, instead expect to be taken care of.
I feel for the hotel owners having to take in the homeless. Will they be compensated for damages that are most likely to occur? Once this “temporary” solution is over where will the homeless go?
Who will want to pay to stay at a hotel that was known to temporarily house homeless knowing the way it would have been treated?
I know I certainly wouldn’t when I see the lack of respect shown by them living in the outdoors. I can only imagine how they will treat indoor accommodation!
The more they are given the more they take, the more they want!
Karen Ryan,
Courtenay
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