Toledo Mayor Blames Shelter's "Exceptional Services" for Homeless Problem

by Shannon Moriarty

Published October 24, 2008 @ 10:42AM PT

Is it possible that an exceptionally well-run shelter and soup kitchen can exacerbate a city's homeless problem?

Probably not. But that's exactly what Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner is claiming. In a statment released earlier this week, he said that the Toledo Police were reporting increased numbers of homeless people in downtown Toledo. He believes these individuals are traveling down from Detroit (located one hour north) because the Cherry Street Mission offers "exceptional services," such as offering three meals daily. The mayor, police chief, and Cherry Street Mission leadership convened earlier this week to discuss this apparent issue.

Regardless of how good the food and accomodations are at the Cherry Street Mission, it seems highly unlikely to me that this would attract homeless people from neighboring cities (unless no services were being offered in that city, which is not the case in Detroit). Besides, has the mayor not been reading the headlines recently? Is he unaware of the financial crisis and the rise in homelessness in cities across the country? Could it be that perhaps homelessnes is actually becoming worse in Toledo and maybe - just maybe - this is why there are more homeless people downtown?

Apparently, I'm not the only one who thought that the mayor's claim was out of whack:

Mike Bonnough, chair of the Cherry Street Mission finance committee, said Finkbeiner cannot blame the Cherry Street Mission for bringing homeless people Downtown. According to Bonnough, the mayor said, "I do not want my city to become like Atlanta."

Bonnough said the mission is doing its job and does not create the problem. The mission tries to restore the homeless and get them back with their families and into the world. He said the mission offers training and tries to help people find jobs.

Debi Starnes, a former Atlanta city councilwoman who chairs the area's Regional Commission on Homelessness, said she "did not know what [Finkbeiner] meant" by his remarks.

"We have a 10-year plan to end homelessness and we are working and trying our best to provide the necessary shelter and services for our homeless population," she said. "I will say that offering these services does not attract homeless people; that has been proven over and over to be false. Every city has people who are homeless or living in the margins, and offering them shelter does not create more homeless, I guarantee."

Hats off to the Cherry Street Mission for meeting the needs of the growing homeless population in Toledo.