Moving The Homeless Is Not An Option!

On Monday, September 11, 2017 I penned Move Homeless Services Away From Downtown? in response to Amy Murphy's story, Move Homeless Services Away from Downtown? in which she writes about her conversation with a homeless resident from Raleigh who doesn't seem to object to moving Greensboro's homeless resources out into the fringes where the homeless can more easily be forgotten about.

As is usually the case when these kinds of pieces are widely shared, the focus is on anything but real solutions to problems.

Over the weekend the Greensboro News & Record republished Ms Murphy's story.

As is typical, the News & Record is advocating the line of Greensboro's development crowd. "Out of sight, out of mind."

This morning I sent the following e-mail to Ms Murphy and am awaiting her thoughtful response.

"Ms Murphy,

On your blog post you link to the "Raleigh Solution" to homelessness but are you even aware that the address of the project 1430 S. Wilmington St is in Downtown Raleigh?

Perhaps you should consider the facts about the "Maple St Solution" you are advocating: http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2017/09/move-homeless-services-away-from.html

We cannot continue to push the poor away to fulfill the desires of the well-to do as their real intent is out of sight and out of mind. As a resident of Greensboro for the last 60 years I witnessed it happen before. Stop allowing them to fool you.

-Billy Jones"

I also included a link to this post.

Ms Murphy fails to realize that in terms of homeless services, Greensboro is years ahead of Raleigh. Raleigh currently has nothing like the Interactive Resource Center that Ms Murphy wishes moved out of Downtown. The problem for Greensboro is that our Ineptocracy isn't capable of managing our city's economic needs making unemployment and homelessness in Greensboro far higher in Greensboro than in Raleigh.

Why isn't Ms Murphy advocating that we fix the problems instead of pushing the problems off on someone else?


I will not and cannot support pushing the homeless from downtown. Gentrification is destroying communities and families all across America while creating more and more poor people and more poor communities as it goes. As Mayor of Greensboro and a poor resident of District 2 who was briefly homeless myself some 20 or so years ago, I will fight this with my every breath. Greensboro must not bow down to those who would push us out.

Now when Ms Murphy begins to advocate moving homeless services to Irving Park I might change my mind.

Remember: Write in BILLY JONES FOR MAYOR OF GREENSBORO