Illustration by Rich Hauck.
Many newspapers once had a feature called “cheers and jeers.”
In that column, the local newspaper complimented a few things it liked and criticized some others it didn’t. The Patriot-News did this for a number of years.
Well, I don’t have any jeers in this particular column (for that, you’ll have to read, well, most of my other columns), but I do have one big cheer.
In August, a nonprofit called Amiracle4sure opened what it calls “A Miracle Community,” a chunk of land in south Harrisburg where displaced occupants of “tent city” could relocate after Harrisburg’s largest homeless encampment was forced to shut down.
As of this writing, over 100 people had moved a few short blocks to the new location, a large, freshly graveled area that was once a parking lot. In so doing, Amiracle4sure hopes to bring a sense of structure and civility to the encampment, compared to the disorder and danger that marred tent city.
So, I offer a huge cheer to founder Marsha Curry-Nixon and her son, Tim White, for taking on this mission. Early days have been promising, but to succeed long-term, they’ll need to be steadfast, with support and encouragement from the larger community—including financial help.
There are more cheers to be had.
In recent years, Harrisburg has become something of a laboratory for creative ways to address the extraordinarily difficult problem of sheltering the unhoused. Nearby, also in south Harrisburg, three other projects are in various stages of completion.
Last year, Veterans Outreach of Pennsylvania opened Veterans Grove, which offers 15 tiny homes, plus a community center, for homeless veterans. On adjacent land, Tunnel to Towers has broken ground on a complex consisting of a 64-unit apartment building and a cluster of “comfort homes,” also for unhoused veterans. The third project, by Eden Village, will bring 32 tiny homes and a community center for the general unhoused population. It is still in the development and fundraising stage.
So, that’s four projects, each with its own model, offering innovative ways of addressing homelessness in Harrisburg. I applaud them all, even if none ends up being a “magic bullet” that will end the crisis for good.
Realistically, I hope that these efforts, combined, bring us to a place that’s somewhat closer to a solution.
In my view, “phase one” of this crisis was what we had before—chaos—folks sleeping under bridges, on the sidewalk, in the scrub. Evidently, some people, at least according to our social media, viewed “tent city” positively, as a type of community. There may have been positive elements, but, in my view, these were easily overwhelmed by profound problems and hazards, including frequent fires, interpersonal conflicts, drug use, medical emergencies and unsanitary conditions.
It seems that we’re now entering a new phase, which I’ll call “phase two.” This interim phase offers greater hope and respect for human dignity. It may be, as in the “Miracle Community,” simply a better encampment: cleaner, calmer, better organized. Or it may be quality transitional housing and support as embodied by Veterans Grove, Tunnel to Towers and Eden Village. Together, these projects offer a much-needed supplement to longstanding housing and shelter efforts in the city, such as those offered by Christian Churches United, Downtown Daily Bread and Bethesda Mission.
Ultimately, I would hope that we, as a community, could reach a final phase—permanent housing for everyone. Nationally, there are examples that may be worth emulating. Houston, for instance, has adopted a “housing first” model, which, according to that city, has substantially lessened homelessness by providing permanent housing then offering wraparound services once folks are securely housed. At the same time, this model hasn’t proven to be a panacea either. Houston still has a sizable, if reduced unhoused population, as some people refused to participate, returned to living outside or found themselves newly homeless.
Obviously, Harrisburg doesn’t have the resources of a huge, growing metropolis like Houston. Nonetheless, housing for everyone could serve as a north star as city and county leaders look to future solutions.
For now, I’m awed by the creativity and hard work of local people seeking solutions to this exceedingly complex and difficult issue here. Yes, it’s still early, and long-term success is hardly guaranteed. However, I also wouldn’t be surprised if, someday, other cities look to Harrisburg for ideas on how to address homelessness in their communities.
Lawrance Binda is publisher and editor of TheBurg.
If you wish to help our unhoused neighbors, I urge you to donate to the organizations.
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