Shelter beds lie empty; target outstanding warrants instead

WHY ARE we putting another homeless shelter in Albuquerque instead of putting it in another New Mexico city, seeing the Albuquerque Police Department cannot come close to addressing our city’s growing repeat offender homeless problem? Aren’t there still 10,000 unaddressed outstanding warrants here? Those who advise the Mayor’s Office insist the new shelter will solve Albuquerque’s homeless dilemma, but the repeat offenders causing our problem will not or cannot go to it. The nighttime APD operators are well aware of reports there are more than 150 empty beds available every night at eight free city locations. In addition, the genuine complaints against the existing city-funded night shelter have continued to increase during the past several years after we have repeatedly notified city officials.

Isn’t it a coincidence the same people advising our officials to put the shelter in are the same people who are receiving federal, state, city and county tax money designated for our homeless? Why do they tailor their services to fit many block grant requirements? Why have they exaggerated their success stories? … Why do they refuse to tell us how many drug- and alcoholaddicted people (are soon after) evicted from their international war zone apartments where they (were) placed? They insist the homeless need to be close to their services; that is not necessarily so.

... Without more homeless coming to our town looking for benefits, their continued and increased funding will be unjustified. Is it out of the kindness of their hearts they want this new shelter in Albuquerque so badly? Their contractors were nowhere to be found until tax money became available. We have already given them many millions during the past 35 years, yet their success stories for rehabilitation remain close to zero.

It is better for me to give my time and resources in a personal encounter to the one who cannot pay back when no one else is looking . ... Isn’t the health of a God-given conscience more important? Wouldn’t that course of action be the best mental health medicine?

RALPH CARL DI PALMA Volunteer for homeless for over 50 years Albuquerque