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Started 6 months ago by drew
Latest reply from AmyJ

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drew

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So... I know it's a sensitive topic, but...

I was downtown this morning with out-of-town visitors around 9:00am. We walked from the Renaissance to Tim Horton's, had breakfast at Tim's, and walked back to the hotel. It isn't terribly unusual for me to be in that general area during that time, and I suppose I've kinda developed blinders to the number of homeless people around there. But, traveling it with visitors, and looking at it through the visitor's eyes, it really is astounding. Even the restaurant it was unpleasant - there were two homeless men inside and the entire place smelled like piss. One of them walked out after us, followed us, and then apropos of nothing threw his coffee at the wall of a building and started shouting 'motherfucker' to nobody in particular.

The visitors were in town for a convention (arrived yesterday AM), and mentioned that the unusual amount of homeless were a popular topic of conversation among the convention-goers (and most of them didn't go to the areas where they are thickest on the ground). I think I can safely say that over half of the people I encountered on the street from the corner of Gay & High to Broad & High and on to 3rd and Broad were conspicuously homeless. In an odd sort of a way, it feels like you're walking through a zombie movie...

I don't have any answers, but I'd like to suggest that it is a problem that hasn't received adequate attention.

Posted 6 months ago #
lifeliberty
Here
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I see it addressed, but with the lack of housing options, levels of mental health and substance abuse issues, and lack of funding, there is not much being done. well, there actually is a lot being done by a lot of people about the situation, but mostly their hands are tied. that combined with the economic situation around the country you are seeing more of what in the past could have been covered up.

I assume the vistors were from smaller cities. You kind of do get used to it. Once my parents were visiting and a guy came up to the car(with also my grandparents inside) asking for gas for his car so he could get his baby home...yeah right, i told him to leave. I could tell my parents weren't used to it and were kinda mortified;, but that was a long time ago, they are used to it now.

I agree with above and below, it is an enforcement issue of the laws we have in place. but the problem is that so much time and money can be spent on such a petty crime, only for the person to be released and do it again, that it is almost not worth it.

Posted 6 months ago #
Cheeser

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I work in the Short North. The police don't take them seriously. They weave up and down High Street all day, drunk off their asses, yelling, begging, threatening.

Posted 6 months ago #
drew

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I have been told, by people within the city government who are presumably in a position to know, that many of the homeless downtown are actually 'homeless' - as in, hustlers who drive (or are driven) to the city center to panhandle and otherwise cause mayhem. One of the food trucks - Johnny Oaks - left downtown for a while because he was being harassed by these people and his truck was being vandalized due to not honoring requests for handouts.

I guess what I'm thinking is this - homelessness is a problem with no immediate solution, but that there is such a great concentration of them (true homeless and otherwise) in such a small area would seem to be a circumstance that need not necessarily be as such.

Posted 6 months ago #
cheap
Westgate
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a lot of mentally ill patients of southeastern mental health live in the YMCA

Posted 6 months ago #
rus

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drew said:

I guess what I'm thinking is this - homelessness is a problem with no immediate solution, but that there is such a great concentration of them (true homeless and otherwise) in such a small area would seem to be a circumstance that need not necessarily be as such.

Hmmm.

Seems like there's a greater concentration of pedestrians in that area combined with not much in the way of enforcement.

Regardless of anyone bringing people to the area I can see how such an area is attractive to panhandlers.

Posted 6 months ago #
leftovers

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^ +1

Posted 6 months ago #
Coremodels
Really close to Explorer's Club.
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Strap them to rickshaws?

Posted 6 months ago #
rus

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Coremodels said:
Strap them to rickshaws?

You sure you didn't mean to post that in the walking dead thread? :-P

Posted 6 months ago #
Coremodels
Really close to Explorer's Club.
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Get the Video Plugin

Posted 6 months ago #
Static-X
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I have just one question. Neighborhood Launch is in charge of building the high-end condos between 4th St. and 6th St. and between Gay St. and Long St. That means these $200,000+ condos are literally going to be built right up against the men and womens shelters at 6th St. My question is, do they keep the shelters where they're at or do they move them out of the city? I don't think too many people want to be butted up against a shelter when they are paying good money for a condo.

Posted 6 months ago #
NerosNeptune
Goodale Park
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If Neighborhood Launch had a plan to somehow "move out" the homeless away from their nice condos, they probably would have done it before they started trying to sell them.

Posted 6 months ago #
Static-X
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NerosNeptune said:
If Neighborhood Launch had a plan to somehow "move out" the homeless away from their nice condos, they probably would have done it before they started trying to sell them.

Well, they haven't made it to 6th St. yet, so they still have time to move them out. On a nice spring or summer day, 6th St. looks like Occupy Wall St. There's cardboard, tarps and bags of clothes hanging from the fences.

Posted 6 months ago #
Pickerington_Kyle

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I'm pretty sure in every big city there's a homeless problem. I mean there not going to put a fence around downtown, and require you to pay $5 dollars to enter. Though it would be nice if they cleaned up the area in side of Cleveland Avenue, E Naghten st, 4th street, and Long Street.

Posted 6 months ago #
Twixlen
Westgate, Columbus
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Here's my thing... I was in Chicago recently, and one of the things that stood out to me was the enforcement of panhandlers. There were a few homeless people - sitting on the sidewalk, tight to buildings, with their signs; but honestly, nothing like what we have in Columbus. Admittedly, in no way did I cover Chicago, but we walked around a lot, through both heavily touristy areas and more neighborhood/Short North style areas. I don't remember being pestered in any way like I might be here.

There really isn't anywhere downtown here that you won't encounter a homeless person. Or, heck, or when I'm driving home from work, down McKinley, through Valleyview. There are always homeless folks with their carts, hanging out at the metal scrapper there.

What is the solution? People have a right to hang out, but at the same time, they have the right to walk down the street and not be harassed. Since the huge camp was busted up last year, it seems like everyone moved downtown.

Posted 6 months ago #
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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How many of you call or alert the proper people to these issues? Not calling anyone out, just curious. There are resources available-especially downtown. CPD non-emergency at 645-4545, SID bike patrol in both Discovery District and Capital Crossroads, SID also employs a homeless outreach person as well as a CPD special duty officer.

If they went from a few nuisance calls a day to 25, 30, 40 etc. about specific areas or specific people that are aggressive, you would probably see a lot more getting done.

Posted 6 months ago #
leftovers

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lifeontwowheels said:
SID bike patrol in both Discovery District and Capital Crossroads, SID also employs a homeless outreach person as well as a CPD special duty officer.

For what it is worth the SID bike patrol is a joke. One sailed past me on the sidewalk (3rd and State) on his bike when I was being yelled at by a clearly intoxicated guy selling that homeless newspaper. I had to step forward or the clown could have run into me. Thanks SID.

Posted 6 months ago #
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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leftovers said:
For what it is worth the SID bike patrol is a joke. One sailed past me on the sidewalk his bike when I was being yelled at by a clearly intoxicated guy selling that homeless newspaper. I had to step back foreard or have run into me.

I've had a different experience then. Also did you contact Street Speech directly and voice a complaint?

Posted 6 months ago #
leftovers

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I think I was more taken a back by the total disregard from the uniformed bike guy I thought was going to aid me.

I have not contacted Street Speech as I think it is a sham and a lot of those guys are bogus with no ID. The guy was yelling at me because I was calling him out after he swore at me for not buying.

Posted 6 months ago #
jpizzow
580 N. Park St.
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Some of them are awesome dancers though.

But seriously, it's part of the street life of every major city. Columbus probably has a pretty small homeless population in comparison to most cities, at least the ones I've been to. That being said, they shouldn't be a nuissance and if they are, make the call. It troubles me that someone mentioned a man selling "those papers" was intoxicated and rude. There is a reason he is selling those papers...to help right his life. Apparently, it's not working for him and someone else should be given the opportunity. I'd be calling that organization before the police. Sadly, some of these people are so mentally ill and/or addicted that there isn't much hope. Honestly, I don't know what you would do with them. Unless you're threatened, just walk on by and ignore.

Posted 6 months ago #