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Dear Editor,
I reviewed your video entitled " Chief Mike Bulter on Homelessness in Longmont" dated June 6, 2018. I have a problem with Mike Butler's observations on solving homelessness mainly they offer a band-aid and not longterm solutions. What I see repeatedly regardless solutions to "homelessness" is a lack of long-term solution planning panels and asking for help from agencies and or other cities to troubleshoot real sustainable solutions.
I really despise grouping societal issues into one category "homelessness". People are not born "homeless" they become "homeless" for a number of reasons which include job loss, family breakdown, substance abuse, psychological problems unmanaged and my favorite are the homeless teenagers that have been expelled from their family homes due to learning disabilities. I have also interviewed a number of people that became homeless due to abuse. Did you know that 1 in 4 Americans suffers due to someone else pathology?
If you're going to solve a problem you need to break it down look at all the factors and ask for help. If you're going to solve homelessness you need to first ask why? Mike Butler may have limited resources to resolve an issue that clearly has impacted the City of Longmont. I would reach out to Mayor Brian Bagley who based his campaign on finding solutions for homelessness. Love to see solutions from a Family Law attorney on sustainable longterm solutions on how to solve the financial impact to families during a divorce, last time I checked Brian's firm billed at $350/hr.
I would look for State Funding and collaborate with organizations that are looking into longterm sustainable solutions that are working to reduce homelessness. Currently, my heart does go out to the Longmont PD who have been left alone to deal with the issues of the arise from having no resources and left to manage an issue that is growing and hasn't been properly solved.
Judi Atwood
Longmont, CO 80501
