Homeless Shelter Coming to Ashburn - Meeting Oct.23

Below are comments from Lori Waters. I think they will surprise some, as these comments are a result of numerous emails occurring during the July time frame. I've removed the large distribution list for privacy concerns. Suffice it to say, that distribution list numbering over 20, includes many of the activists concerned about "the revelation" that the Center for Hope was being built in Ashburn.


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The bolded comments are added by me for emphasis. Feel free to bold your own that you deem illuminating.

 

Mr. Hamilton,
have fun in that hermetically sealed bubble of yours. Might I suggest decaf, or perhaps an herbal tea. Your cries of outrage sound a bit paranoid.

 

After reading Waters letter this is a total BY Right project so it seems. This will then be just about impossible to change and I don't see a judge in this county that will rule against it. They don't need permission from any of the residents to do what they are doing. I dare say this organization has been around a long long time and has meet outcry from the residents in the past and have been able to deal with it.

I am sure they and their lawyers are very seasoned in handling this kind of contoversy. Bottom line they have every right right to do what they are doing and I believe there is not a court that will go against them.

So compromise might be the last hope you have. I don't think a bunch of angry people will change their minds as they probably can get just as many residents in favor of this from what I have seen on these forums. You need to go in with solutions and money if you want this moved. Money and another viable location that is paid for being the most important. Then again they already broke ground on their BY Right project. This will be a tough one to change because you can't give them the time back they have invested. Before you waste money on lawyers make sure you have one that has been thru this before and has won. Pie in the Sky lawyers are a dime a dozen.

Lee j

 

Let's be honest. Do you really believe that some of these homeless men, who don't have anywhere to go, are going to get on a bus and leave the area? I would think "I can get a meal, a shower and use the phone again at 9am tomorrow. I'll just stay around here for the night." Why would they get back on a bus, only to have to return on a bus the next day? It just doesn't make sense.

Also, we have hard-working neighbors who made a significant investment in our community by purchasing homes. Some of these neighbors will be a stones throw from the shelter. You know it will kill the value of their homes. People don't move to the suburbs to live that close to a shelter.

Lastly, Mr. Hamilton has stated many reasons not to locate this shelter in Old Town Ashburn. I haven't heard anyone give a reason why this location is optimal.

 

Does it appear that Lori Waters is backtracking a bit and not being upfront about how much she knew back in July? Now that the heat is on?

 

Mucha Lucha,

Loitering is illegal. Call the cops and they will handle it. That's what I plan to do if I see someone loitering. I am sure the 24/7 fire department right next door will have their eyes open all night, and will do the same if they see loitering.

To answer your question, honestly, I don't think we'll see your hypothetical as being a problem.

 

Steve, I think that's a very fair point. And I don't think that has been addressed.

At the same time, people who have the resources to commit crimes (sexual, robbery, child molestation) and get away with it have access to our community 24/7. They can drive into the neighborhood at any time, while you all are away at your jobs or in the middle of the night. They have easy access to several roadways leaving the area in every direction. We have thousands of illegal immigrants all around this general area, many of whom probably work right in our neighborhood now and can "case" out our homes and families. These people have the opportunity, motivation and means to steal and get away with it.

Do we set up road blocks and keep these people out? No, we rely on common sense measures to keep our families safe. We also rely on local law enforcement.

This past summer, we even had our own residents (presumably) committing serious vandalism. In response, we hired security to monitor the pools.

We also have neighbors living here who are alcoholics, drug addicts, pedophiles and such.

Yes, I think that having this GSA facility close by will increase the risk--and therefore the corresponding diligence required by the police and citizens--that comes from having homeless people in close proximity to residential areas. Is it the ideal place? No. But I also think we need to have some perspective and not be ruled by fear.

 

Well said Silence. There are an innumerable amount of hazards out there. Living in close proximity to people, any people, adds to that. You have no idea who is living close and what they do. People have been married to serial killers for years and have had no idea (extreme example, but still worth noting). If the hazards of living near people (or the awfulizing "what ifs") are too much, move to the middle of nowhere. You have taken out the hazard of other people coming into contact with your family, but you still have worry about the rabid coyote and the bunny with the twitching eyes.

 

Thanks for joining in Mr. Bazerghi,

Page 45 in the special needs assessment section of the Loudoun County Consolidated Housing and Community Development Plan states that mental health problems are a major factor contributing to homelessness. Page 55 states at the GSA men’s shelter 36.9% of residence were asked to leave due to rules violations. Based on newspaper articles read at the Ashburn meeting these “Rules Violations” were often violent offenses. If GSA can’t handle these men how will our children fair walking to and from school?
http://inetdocs.loudoun.gov/dss/docs/housing_/consolidatedpla/consolidatedpla.pdf

Here is a second attack at a GSA Shelter in less then a 12 month period.

“the LoudounCounty Sheriff's Office arrested a homeless man after he allegedly stabbed a Centreville man in the upper body.
But he hasn't yet had his day in court because no one knows for sure his exact, mental capabilities.”
http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/printarticle.asp?article=67862&archive=true

"There's no question that a certain percentage of homeless people on the street are dangerous or violent," said Heather Mac Donald, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute who has written extensively on the issue. "These are not gentle lambs."
http://home.att.net/~r.s.mccain/homeless.html

Here is a quote from an email Jack Ryan has sent me. Jack Ryan is running for Supervisor.

“To be clear, I do not support this facility in the middle of residential Ashburn and cannot figure out how this made it through the zoning process”

Lori Waters our current supervisor signed a petition opposing the location of the shelter.
Email her and ask for yourself.

Yesterday I spoke with Phyllis J. Randall the last of our candidates for Supervisor. She is also a social worker who has worked with the homeless and she told me she has seen homeless men commit crimes for “3 hots and a cot”.

I don’t wish to belittle the plight of the homeless but let’s not be naive about it either. Many stories are tragedies but please don’t add to the tragedy by placing our children in harms way. Let’s work together and find an appropriate location that serves the homeless and protects our children.

 

But why would you build a facility and then BUS people to it?

I do not doubt that there are needy people immediately within the confines of Ashburn but I seriously doubt there are many. If you are going to build a facility and there is a need to bus people to get to it, then build it somewhere where it makes more sense (and not just "where the money is").
There is alot more land and ALOT less people immediately west of Leesburg (assuming that is the largest population of homeless).

 

some folks here being are idealistic about homelessness. i unfortunately have someone very close to me who is homeless BY CHOICE. working and staying clean is more work than panhandling and letting the system take care of her. she's not a bad person- she's actually very sweet, kind and goodhearted. but if all of her money is gone and she needs a fix or a drink, she will steal anything she can carry and pawn it. she'll be very apologetic afterwards, but she'll blame her medical condition for her lack of impulse control.

all homelessness is not just bad luck- most of it is poor decision making, much of it is addiction related. desperation makes otherwise good people do awful things.

i believe in helping people, but a facility that's not near public transportation or walking disctance to jobs and near so many common areas where they can stay unnoticed is a poor location to offer the help.

 

From what I have read this is a BY RIGHT project and as such not much anyone can do if the shelter wants to be there. Everyone here needs to know what a BY RIGHT is as Barbara has tried to explain on another thread.

No politician is going to be able to do anything by her or himself. Just election time talk. Look at the subway coming out here no politician could stop it or put it underground in tysons inspite of millions and millions being spent and many many lawsuits. On a smaller scale you have a similar situation, with election time approaching the politicians will promise the world but in reality their is very little that they can do many a time.

No lawyer will be able to win a BY RIGHT case very easily ask Barbara. There will be many more BY RIGHT surprises in the future. I have to agree I agree with Barbara on her feelings about BY RIGHT many a time. Like I said before they broke ground and as far as I can see the only solution will be if someone finds and pays for an alternative. Possibly an already built building that they can use or needs just a little fix up. If you all are serious about this I suggest you go out find a place for this shelter and help pay for it. Otherwise all your so called feeling sorry for those homeless is just words not action. Here is your chance for all against to step up to the plate and do something other then just talk. Just my two cents as I don't care one way or another about the shelter as long as the homeless have at least a shot at a better life, no matter where it is. My kids went to grade school in Santa Monica California and it was full of homeless even by the schools and residences and very rarely was there a problem. I personally think many of you are on the verge of hysterics over nothing.

Lee j

 

Steve,

Some will need to take the bus (not bused in) after all they are homeless. Again, a significant number drive their cars to the facility. Where ever the GSA facility is some will have to be bused in. Therefore, your argument applies to anywhere in the County, and isn't exclusive to the Ashburn Center of Hope. I truly don't think you are advocating that their not be a Center for assisting the homeless.

At some point folks need to realize this is for a good cause, and minor (yes minor) concerns are worth living with because in the end neighbors are being helped that are in need. For me I just don't see the concern of loitering being a big concern. It hasn't been for the other GSA facilities in the county, I don't see why folks think it will be different here in Ashburn.

 

T8erman,

What data on Loudoun homeless are you using to support your statement? As I just stated in response to Steve, where ever the facility is there will be a need to bus people to it.

There is not "one" location where all these homeless people hang out. I may not know where they are, but I can bet they are everywhere north, south east and west, Sterling, Middleburg, Leesburg, Purcelville AND Ashburn.

Now my whole thought goes to hell if you can tell me where they "all" congregate.

 

Can you prove this?

I'm not sure I understand. These are mostly homeless women and childrren who have cars? Where do they take their children to sleep at night? Doesn't anybody else worry about the fact that there are children living in cars? What government services are available for these people?

 

Softball chick... they and their children live and sleep in their cars. This is what happens sometimes and when you hear about the number of homeless who are women or children, they are mostly poor and the women are in abusive relationships and they leave with their kids (well the lucky ones do) the not so lucky ones many times end up dead. There is a shelter outside of Leesburg that I have had to pleasure to volunteer for that caters to these women. But it is not a permanent solution. It takes a long time and a lot of help for them to pull themselves out of the cycle of violence and poverty. GSA is part of the solution for this horrible problem that ALL areas face.

 

Because they are out to get your kids. I'm sure if you look hard enough you will find that in their mission statement.

Where? To a location where no one lives or there are no opportunities for them to even try and better themselves? You like to remind everyone that not all the homeless are harmless, but not all of them are out to get you.

As stated before, why not get involved with your kids and teach them that it's okay to help people who aren't as fortunate.

 

Gryphon?