Merle Hay Neighborhood Association

Neighborhoods United Against Shelter Move
DM City Hall and Downtown evict Churches United Shelter, yet term neighboring residents uncaring.

Des Moines, Iowa - October 30, 2006

Commentary and Response by Cheatom Park Association Resident-
The issue is not discrimination by insensitive neighborhoods against homeless citizens being given shleter or getting proper assistance. The larger issue is a select group of influential wealthy citizens and developers, who have decided to use local government to further displace the downtown homeless population. And then in turn, place the guilt, shame and blame on an already economically disadvantaged and stressed neighborhood of citizens that have been barely but successfully dealing with their own homeless residents.

The city can hardly supply the basic needed services and public safety for these disadvantaged areas, named the EC5 Area, where homeowners and working families are footing a heavy property tax load. Yet it has been deemed appropriate and just to add an even greater burden onto them. In contrast, those who will be expected to live in the projected condos downtown at a quarter million dollars and work in high priced office and entertainment developments, shouldn't have to deal with, see, fund nor pay for services to address that very same burden. They have chosen to pass the buck to someone else.

Neighborhoods United Against

Imagine a yacht with passengers wanting to use the cargo space for a game room. They throw the cooks and the help overboard. Those in a nearby leaking raft, barely patched and floating with no room are not going to be happy when told by the yacht passengers that they mean spirited and hateful for turning away the people scratching to climb aboard the leaky craft, nearly capsizing it. The raft survivors are going to be justifiably outraged and demand why were the drowning thrown out and overboard in the first place? Why Churches Untied won't be allowed to increase size or redevelop in it's location has NEVER been properly, logically nor sufficiently addressed or explained beyond, ''It just won't fit.'' by the city manager. The 'Fit' being referred to is a development plan that is not interested in dealing with the local homeless population and assisting the new location to where it has been displaced and moved.

The cry being heard and that will not subside is outrage from groups of citizens fed up with being the backwater the city shuffles it's social problems into. They do it in hopes it will go away or disappear. We are demanding that a more systematic solution be found and the solution be spread to address poverty and homelessness city and county wide. That it cannot be banished from downtown by shuffleboard policies and politics. Trying to remake downtown Des Moines into a wonderland for middle-class and affluent suburbanites to stay or move into will not stem or reverse the blight nor the flight from the city of Des Moines. The city and the downtown neighborhood should help to keep Churches United Shelter in the present location it is located.

Following the lead of places like San Francisco, where increased services were integrated and provided 'THROUGHOUT'' the city for disadvantaged citizens to access instead of creating ghetto concentrations of the poor, is a fairer logical and comprehensive solution. Funding and tax breaks for both small and local business to develop, thrive and survive in all the city business districts would improve the managing with neighborhood associations of area homeless individuals. Thus, making Des Moines?’ mission of increasing cultural diversity, openness and vibrancy, part of its core philosophy not just a catch phase.

City projects that are spackling and superficial remedy just to feel good - like public flowers beds or bike trails - do not address the deeper issues being played out on a smaller scale in Des Moines. The script is the widening of wealth and power between the upper class and the working/lower classses, with the middle class being squeezed or pushed into either camp and the homeless left running for cover.