Homelessness: our common burden

Is homelessness in our community, in La Conner, Skagit County, the state of Washington and throughout the United States intractable? County school superintendents and their staff agreed that is what they, and we, face every day, whether at school or on a street corner.

At the August 19 forum on homelessness and its impact on children and schools organized by Skagit County’s League of Women Voters and the chapter of School Retirees of Skagit-San Juan-Island Counties, 110 people gathered to consider how county school districts are managing. The answer is the best they can, but they don’t have the resources they need.

Fran McCarthy, from Anacortes’ schools, was straightforward “there are not systematic solutions to systematic problems [of] what students and families need.” Those needs: “Truly permanent shelter, jobs at sustainable wages, getting their medical needs met.”

In other words, do what the U.S. did to win the cold war: throw money at the problem till it gives up.

Ungovernable is a synonym for intractable. Ungovernable is defined as “not capable of being governed, guided or restrained.” But it is not the homeless who are ungoverned. Governments are not outlawing homelessness. That would be laws like this: “It is illegal for you to be without a home.”

The burden cannot be on the person or family without a home. Think this through: If governments made homelessness illegal, the governments would have to round up the homeless and provide them with homes. That’s a nonstarter. Would governments fine or arrest themselves, staffs and elected officials both, for failing to govern homelessness?

Then the failure of housing supply is the government’s problem. Governments would be sued by homeless people for the government not putting everyone in a place to live.

No, homelessness is not ungovernable. Instead, homelessness has not been adequately governed.

Another band aid has been offered by the state legislature.

Steps are being taken in the state and county and hopefully in our little town. The new SHB 406 offers local governments that vote a miniscule increase of 0 .0073% in the local sales tax for specific uses for affordable housing a match of 0 .0073% by the state.

It is not a whole lot of money. La Conner will collect about $8,000 by voting in a local tax, estimates show. It will get only $4,000 if it does not. Skagit County commissioners will gather $69,400 if citizen agree.

These are piddling, indeed pitifully small amounts of funding, totally inadequate. Over 12 months, $8,000 is $667 monthly. Two families could get their rents subsidized, at $333 each. That’s not a solution, that’s an embarrassment.

Another synonym for intractable? Willful. Willful’s meaning: “having or showing a stubborn and determined intention to do as one wants, regardless of the consequences or effects.” We, the people, willfully accept homelessness, refusing to morally or ethically challenge ourselves, much less the most powerful among us.

The solution to homelessness is living wage jobs, universal health care and mental health treatment and subsidized housing. Until citizens demand their governments require employers to pay living wages, people will be poor.

The Weekly News is planning to raise staff wages to $15 per hour before 2019 ends. Wage increases will total 25% since July 2017. It is not enough, but it is one employer’s ongoing effort.

This business does not want to be a part of willfully allowing homelessness.

How intractable are you?