Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston – one of the leaders in the effort to end homelessness in Guilford County – said this week that progress is being made, but that things are going slower than he had hoped.
He reiterated something he’s stated in the past – that the problem is one of the greatest challenges facing Guilford County and it’s one that will require an “all hands on deck” approach.
One of Alston’s publicly stated goals in early 2023 was for there to be sufficient facilities and programs to assure that no county resident had to remain on the streets once the weather turned cold toward the end of 2023. That essentially created a de facto deadline of October 31 for getting significant measures in place – and Alston admitted that some of those solutions make take longer than he would like.
However, he’s quick to add that things are going well over all.
He said that a lot of different partners – like community groups and other local governments working on the same problem – are attempting to come together on a set strategy.
“It’s going good but there are different ideas and approaches,“ Alston told the Rhino Times on Monday, Aug. 7.
“We have a meeting next month,” Alston said of the county’s taskforce to address homelessness, which has a great many members.
In mid-May of this year, Guilford County Board of Commissioners a voted unanimously to spend $100,000 to purchase Erwin Montessori School on Bessemer Avenue in Greensboro. They’ve acknowledged that the building will be used in some way to address the problem of homelessness in the county but, as of yet, they are not sure how.
He said he and other county commissioners had been in discussions with those who live near the school to hear some of their concerns.
“It will not be a homeless shelter” Alston said, adding that it could be a place where programs and services for the homeless emanate from. However, he reiterated that the nature of the operations are still up in the air.
Alston said one good thing about the fight is that cities and towns have been engaging in big moves and big projects to address the problem as well.
The county doesn’t always work well with the cities of Greensboro and High Point – and the towns – though in this effort everyone seems to be largely on the same page in terms of realizing the scale and the importance of the problem in Guilford County.
One can hope but do not expect much other than additional taxes. This is the way it works in Greensboro and Guilford county.
Skip says “It will not be a homeless shelter” Alston said, adding that it could be a place where programs and services for the homeless emanate from. However, he reiterated that the nature of the operations are still up in the air.
Thats all well and good, but what percentage of homeless people will go their? Many don’t want help, they just want the 1st of the month check, the money they beg for at intersections (safety hazard), alcohol and drugs that they purchase, sleep anywhere they can and leave all the nasty trash behind for City & County employees to clean up.
Homelessness has been around for years, Skip just noticed this year and it will continue to be a problem for years. Look at California what goes on the streets. Do we want that here? Its coming soon
Stop inviting these people to move here. They drain our resources and cause us all trouble!!!
Skip- open your doors to the International Civil Rights Center & museum! Plenty of places for the homeless to sleep, eat, work and even help your museum. The money from us the taxpayers of Guilford county feel that money would be wisely spent to assist the homeless. Unless of course you are like councilwoman Johnson and the Greensboro city council who just give themselves money without accountability to the citizens of Guilford county. Are you?
One of the best books published recently is entitled “Homelessness is a Housing Problem,” which as the title suggests, goes into extensive research to discover that it’s not drugs, poverty, or any other cause that lies behind homelessness. It’s housing availability and affordability.
The solution to this problem is quite simple: the city should form a non-profit that will develop, build, own and manage mixed income housing throughout the city in order increase the supply of affordable units. The great thing is that the rents from the market rate units subsidize the lower income units and allow the city to use more funding to build more housing. Atlanta just started such a program to address their housing shortage. Greensboro and/or Guilford would be wise to do the same.
How many has Alston welcomed into his home? Why is there a big fence around the place with a big “A” on it? Words are only words. Actions show whether or not he actually cares. Put down the golf bag, auction off the Corvette and a Mercedes or two and give the proceeds to the homeless.
Should the citizens of Greensboro should gather the homeless and drop them off at Skips home ? Would he welcome them or call the police? To be determined!