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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPublic Comment from Crawley with ConcernsGood evening, My name is Lori Crawley, and I am here tonight to express my serious concerns regarding the proposed relocation of the Homeless Shelter to 460 West Main Street. I want to begin by saying that I recognize homelessness is a real and growing problem on Cape Cod. Those experiencing homelessness deserve compassion, dignity, support, and access to services that help them rebuild their lives. My concern is not whether we should help. My concern is whether this is the right location to do so. I believe this proposal places the interests of school children, families, senior citizens, businesses, and even the shelter's own clients at risk by relocating a regional shelter into an area that is simply not appropriate for this type of facility. First and foremost, we must consider the children. This site is located in close proximity to four schools. Hyannis West Elementary School and the Enoch Cobb School, which serves children with autism and other special needs, are only about 350 feet away. As a grandparent, this is not an abstract issue for me. My grandchildren will be in this area every day. Another grandchild, a 15-year-old freshman at Cape Cod Regional Technical High School, waits for her bus at West Main Street and Old Craigville Road beginning at approximately 6:50 in the morning. During much of the school year, she waits in darkness. She is not alone. Students throughout this area, including vocational, middle school, and high school students, gather at bus stops before sunrise and return home after school each day. At approximately the same time these students are waiting for transportation, shelter clients are required to leave the facility for the day. Even if no incidents ever occur, parents should not have to question whether a regional homeless shelter is an appropriate neighbor to elementary schools, special education programs, student bus stops, and routes traveled daily by children. When selecting a location for a facility of this nature, the safety and well-being of our children should be one of the highest priorities. I am also concerned that this location does not appear to serve the best interests of the shelter's clients. Many of the critical services relied upon by individuals experiencing homelessness are concentrated elsewhere. The Salvation Army is approximately 1.6 miles away, requiring roughly a 33-minute walk. McDonald's, a location often used by homeless individuals seeking shelter from extreme weather, is approximately 1.5 miles away, or a 31-minute walk. More importantly, Duffy Health Center and Cape Cod Hospital are approximately 2.3 miles away—nearly a 50-minute walk. Duffy Health Center is one of the Cape's most important resources for individuals experiencing homelessness. It provides medical care, behavioral health services, substance use treatment, case management, benefits assistance, outreach, and other critical support services designed specifically to help people regain stability and independence. If the goal of relocating this shelter is to improve outcomes for clients, then we should be asking why the proposed site moves them farther away from some of the very resources most essential to their success. For individuals who may not have reliable transportation, physical mobility, financial resources, or stable access to communication, these distances matter. A location that separates people from meals, medical care, counseling, case management, and support services does not appear to strengthen the safety net intended to help them. I also have questions about the shelter model itself. According to available information, shelter beds are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and clients must leave each morning. At the same time, the shelter promotes services such as case management, employment assistance, housing assistance, mental health counseling, and substance abuse treatment. How can individuals make meaningful progress toward stability when they are required to leave each day and compete nightly for access to a bed? Long-term success requires consistency, structure, accountability, and stability. Those are difficult goals to achieve under a system that requires people to start over every day. I am also concerned about the broader impact on the surrounding community. This corridor already contains schools, senior housing, family neighborhoods, businesses, churches, and heavily traveled roadways. Residents deserve answers regarding how pedestrian traffic, traffic congestion, public safety concerns, emergency service demands, and neighborhood impacts will be addressed. Business owners deserve to know how this proposal may affect their customers and employees. Homeowners deserve to know how it may affect their neighborhoods and property values. Parents deserve to know how their children will be protected. And seniors deserve to know how their quality of life will be preserved. If this shelter is intended to serve the entire Cape Cod region, then I believe it is fair to ask several important questions: Why was this particular location selected? What other locations were considered? Were sites evaluated based on proximity to schools, residential neighborhoods, senior housing, and community resources? Has anyone demonstrated why this location is superior to alternatives? Most importantly, has anyone shown how this relocation benefits the shelter's clients more than other available options? These questions deserve clear and transparent answers. Finally, I ask that we consider the issue of fairness. Would this proposal be receiving the same level of support if it were being located directly adjacent to schools in other villages such as Cotuit, Centerville, or West Barnstable? That is a difficult question, but it is one worth asking. We all agree that homelessness must be addressed. We all agree that people deserve help. But helping people and choosing the right location are not the same thing. A regional homeless shelter should be located where it can best serve its clients while minimizing impacts on schools, children, neighborhoods, seniors, and businesses. In my view, 460 West Main Street does not accomplish either goal. I respectfully urge decision-makers to reconsider this proposal, thoroughly evaluate alternative locations, and pursue a solution that better serves both those experiencing homelessness and the broader community. Thank you for your time and consideration.