The members of the Greensboro City Council currently have a whole lot of things on their plate when it comes to the Interactive Resource Center in downtown Greensboro – which has been the subject of many complaints from residents who live near it and the business owners who run businesses in the area.
The Resource Center – which doesn’t offer beds to the homeless, but does open its doors during both the day and night to provide services to that group – has been discussed a great deal by the City Council in recent months.
The center gives homeless people a place where they can do things like get a hot meal, check emails, shave and shower, escape the heat and fill out job applications; however, it’s not a “shelter” where they can sleep at night.
While most city residents want the homeless to have access to these services, the Resource Center does create a central access point where the homeless congregate and those who live and work near the facility have complained about things such as the homeless using drugs on their property, defecating behind their places of business, and intimidating their clients.
The Interactive Resource Center is once again on the agenda for the Greensboro City Council meeting that will be held on Monday, Aug. 5 at 4:30 p.m.
This item was originally scheduled to be addressed at a July 16 City Council meeting; however, it was delayed until this month.
The board will be debating, and likely voting on, a resolution on homelessness that authorizes a contract with the Resource Center for fiscal 2024-2025 to help fund the 24/7 center’s drop-in activities in an amount of $463,000 for the center.
When the center first opened, it closed down services in the late afternoon; however, it later extended its time of service to virtually all hours of the day and night – and a lot of those who work and live near the facility say that was the point at which problems got out of hand.
This City Council determined how to allocate the money using a competitive request for proposals that was meant to address the “housing and service needs of residents experiencing homelessness in our community.”
According to city officials, the proposed funding recommendation is consistent with the goals stated in the City’s 2020-2024 housing plan as well as with the city’s 2024-2025 Action Plan.
The City of Greensboro issued a request for proposals on April 1 of 2024 to cover the fiscal year that began on July 1, 2024, and that ends on June 30, 2025, for “homelessness prevention and rapid re-housing activities.”
City staff is recommending that the City Council authorize the city manager to execute this contract with the Resources Center for it to provide services.
Same old, same old. Why in heavens name does someone who has no permanent address need access to email? And here I go again; “give me a fish and I eat today, teach me to fish and I eat forever “. Those that want and can rise above their current situation would quickly be separated from the growing number of people simply looking for someone to take responsibility for them.
But then again, the liberals continue to fund these things rather than rely on teaching people the concepts of self-initiative.
As expected.
I support the mission of the IRC and wonder why the democrat City Council has no problem allocating $2m to the “civil rights museum” over 5 years, but for some reason has angst helping out the very people they claim to represent, being the downtrodden. The answer is simple, hipocrisy. Wake up people!
Maybe put out some trash cans and provide bathrooms. City funds these for the well to do at city owned golf courses and are remodeling bathrooms at Mandate Mayors Opera Palace for millions but by not providing to the least fortunate it shows our city leaders true motivations and who they serve. It ain’t the people….it’s money and power.
Build it, and they will come. Help more, and they will come.