In addition here is what I wrote for my web version of this story....
Final
Project- Controversy Arises with Plans to Renovate Monroe Park
May 9, 2011
RICHMOND, VA (WVCU) -
Along with a new jail and plans to expand city roads, Mayor Dwight Jones also
has serious renovation plans for Monroe Park.
There has been talk for
a few years now about plans to renovate Monroe Park and to make it more
inviting. Many people use the park in Richmond for sports, leisure time and
school activities. But for the homeless, it’s place to spend their daylight
hours.
One local homeless man
Bill Hill believes that the park will never be closed for any reason. They keep
talking about it but I don’t see them doing it because there are just too many
homeless people. He says “Where are they going to go?”
The
mayor has set aside $1.9 million in park renovation funds through his 2012-2013
biennial budget for the city. However, an issue raised by the renovation plans
is what happens to the homeless when that park is closed for a facelift. Will
it cause homeless shelters, alley ways and parks may to be over populated with homeless
people who have nowhere else to go.
Many
organizations that aid homeless people in Monroe Park are insisting that the
renovations do not disrupt the care they give to the homeless. Groups Such as
“Food not Bombs” believe that their work is even more important.
Other
groups, such as the “Wingnut Anarchist Collective,” have decided to take
matters into their own hands. A camp was built up and signs went up about a
month ago as the group sat in Monroe Park and made it obvious that they were
not ok with the park closing to the homeless for any reason.
As
a result of this act nine people, many of whom had no permanent address
themselves, were charged with trespassing after staying in the park after the
sun had set, which city laws do not permit. Acts like these will most likely
not end until the final decision is made and/or renovations begin for good.
In addition, many
facilities which are used to help the homeless around the city are beginning to
worry about the impact closing the park to the homeless may have on them as well.
Sterling Severns, Pastor at Tabernacle Baptist Church, volunteers in a group
that gives food and clothes to the homeless once a week. Seeing the homeless
problem first hand makes him worried that they may be forgotten about.
Severns hopes that the
way authorities will look at is as though “it’s not um, a were closing the
park, therefore you have to go somewhere else, it’s were closing the park so
let’s see what we can do to take care of you.” Severns is aware that his church
may need to expand their help, which they do in partnership with the Richmond
Food Bank, if the homeless do end up with nowhere else to go.
On the other hand,
people like James Thompson believe as though the homeless are the reason
Richmond’s oldest park has gotten so run down and that they need to be
relocated. Thompson provides services to the homeless in many states through
ministry and feels as though “If you see any trash it did not come from anybody
at VCU or walking through here. It comes from the homeless people. It’s like
they got an attitude I don’t care. So if they close it down, hey, they did it.”
Thompson also noted
that over the few days he spent in Monroe Park he saw many illegal activities
going on. Two instances resulted in people being arrested for selling
marijuana. With experiences like these people like Thompson tend to develop
negative opinions about the homeless people living their day lives in the park.
As the number of
homeless people in Monroe Park grows, so do the concerns of residents who use
the park and local authorities. The good news, for some, is no renovations will
begin until all funds are raised. We will know if the mayor’s budget is approved
in late May.
See Mayor Jones’s budget proposal in full at: http://www.richmondgov.com/Budget/reports.aspx#Biennial
See other related articles at: http://www2.timesdispatch.com/search/?source=all&query=homeless+monroe+park
Bill
Hill-
Local Homeless
No permanent address or phone number
Sterling
Severns- Pastor (Tabernacle Baptist Church)
1925 Grove Avenue (at Meadow St.)
Richmond, VA 23220
804.355.0134
Richmond, VA 23220
804.355.0134
James Thompson- travels with different
ministries helping the homeless
No
permanent address
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