Homeless today, neighbors tomorrow

I'm a little embarrassed by my neighborhood today.

The city of Seattle's proposal to develop subsidized rental housing for the homeless at Fort Lawton has been met with distrust, outrage and fear by many of our neighborhood's residents.

Rather than view the city's plans as an opportunity for Magnolia to show leadership in supporting some of our community's most vulnerable individuals (many of whom are young children), we've offered an all-too-familiar "not in my backyard" reaction.

Certainly, Magnolians have a right to be concerned with personal safety, a drain on public services, and, yes, even property values. But these concerns seem to be based upon a misinformed and rather stereotypical view of the homeless.

At a recent community meeting, residents described homeless people as "wife-beaters, sex offenders and crack addicts." The facts are, a significant number of those who are currently in transitional housing have simply fallen on hard times, or bravely escaped domestic violence. Many are gainfully employed. More than 30 percent are children under the age of 17. All of them are deserving of a safe, stable place to call home.

If given a chance, the formerly homeless can become an asset to our neighborhood, not a detriment. Once they are secure in a home, they are more likely to find jobs and stay employed, provide consistent education to their children, and contribute to the overall community. And we can all learn from their life experiences and points of view.

Those concerned about safety issues should take comfort in the city's commitment not to place the severely mentally ill into the Fort Lawton facility, and to closely screen and monitor all residents. Even so, the reality is that housing the formerly homeless reduces — not increases — the overall need for public services such as police, fire and emergency medical technicians.

If we can't welcome the homeless into our neighborhoods simply because it's the right thing to do, then let's do it because it saves us money. Research proves that modest investments today in offering stable housing to the homeless save all of us significant amounts in the future.

At the Downtown Emergency Center's 1811 Eastlake facility, offering housing to 75 formerly homeless individuals saved taxpayers more than $2.5 million in the first year of operation alone. Plymouth Housing Group's "Begin at Home Program" served only 20 people yet saved $1.5 million in public services in one year.

Imagine how much we can save taxpayers when the Fort Lawton facility is operating, particularly since the valuable land is being given to the city by the federal government.

Certainly, the Fort Lawton location may be a mixed blessing for the new residents. On one hand, living in an out-of-the-way, beautiful, natural setting could provide an ideal environment in which to have a fresh start. However, Discovery Park is not in immediate proximity to social-service organizations, affordable groceries, cost-effective child care or other supports the new residents may need. Together with the city and project planners, we should come up with options to make the location as workable as possible for all involved.

Magnolia has a unique opportunity to step forward and offer a supportive community to those who have experienced hard times. Particularly for women leaving a domestic-violence situation, a strong community network is vital to helping them succeed, yet is too often unavailable to them. With Magnolia's amazing community and parent groups, schools, churches, athletic leagues and other networks, we can be a safe and successful place for these families to thrive.

If the city's plans move forward and the new residents move into Fort Lawton, pay rent, enroll their children in our schools and join us in the park on a Saturday afternoon, then they are no longer homeless — they are simply our neighbors. And we should welcome them as such.