Dear Editor,

I read with grave concern your article on the president’s intention to use $400m for the construction of a shelter for destitute/homeless persons. I wish to urge the president and his advisors to rethink this proposal as a matter of urgency. I also wish to mention that dialogue and consultation are required, particularly with persons who have an understanding and knowledge base, having worked with this target group. Additionally, the possibility is that there are studies lying in the Faculty of Social Sciences that address these issues. It would be useful to utilise the knowledge of behavioural specialists, if we want to ensure that the facility is used for the intended purpose and not left as a “white elephant”.

Let us ensure that we engage in dialogue for instance with the Directors of the Beacon Foundation, and others associated with that Programme, who in 1989, had posh facilities for such persons, situated at Quamina and Carmichael Streets .The intention was to have a shelter for them, as well as provide them with breakfast and lunch. The breakfast and lunch aspects of the programme were very successful, but the aspect of the shelter failed. There are reasons for that failure.

There is a culture that is akin to the street that few homeless/destitute persons would give up for the president’s or any other’s shelter. The sreets offer freedom(ask the mendicants outside city hall, those outside the Bank of Nova Scotia on Robb Street, the children outside Popeyes and other haunts). The streets offer economic rewards that they would not acquire at the shelter.

Research shows that the more exquisite the facility is, the less attractive it would be for the intended target group, as they find it difficult to conform to rules and regulations of the conventional system. They are used to normlessness and would experience major challenges relating to the facility to which the president refers..

If we are serious about this project, many facets of the life of homeless persons have to be considered. If the only objective is to shelter them, I say the project is doomed to failure. We have to talk about a holistic programme, that would embrace and complement an individual’s total growth and development.( By the way, did we realise that there are various categories of homeless persons -many of them are drug addicts, many are mentally deranged, many are ill and require medical attention, there are those with mental and physical challenges).

Yours faithfully,

(name and address

supplied)