New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
By Rev Eric Paul Dorman
In response to the homeless shelter OP/ED that made the statement that the homeless shelters ‘are just support chambers for alcoholics, crack addicts, and heroin addicts. You guys give them a nice warm bed, a hot meal, a place they can do their drugs.”
First of all, where is the humanity in that statement? To paint homelessness with a broad brush is simply ignorant and non-informed, not all of the homeless are alcoholics, crack addicts and heroin addicts. There are far more homeless people that have no support after having major financial or personal crisis’ not to mention the many families that are homeless where drug use is not the reason for their situation.
What about our homeless veterans who are not addicts? Did you know their number of homelessness is growing? What about the families that have had a major financial or personal crisis from losing employment and can’t afford rent or who lost housing due to fires or tragedies? Did you know that women (who don’t use drugs and commit crimes) and children have a significant homelessness rate? Did you know that according to the National Coalition on Homelessness, families with children make up 41% of homeless people? How about family homes in New Bedford, your neighbors; that are “support chambers for alcoholics, crack addicts and heroin addicts” where the parents or family are trying to get help for their loved ones who are addicted? Homeless shelters are needed to keep homeless people safe.
Sounds like the homeless shelters are doing you a favor by opening their doors so that the people who are concerned about the homeless committing crimes can sleep at night knowing that they’re not wandering the streets of New Bedford at night.
