Halle says 2 social programs not helping homeless, addicts
Bill Halle is concerned that the folks he has cared for and loved for more than three decades — and the community-at-large — are being ill-served by two popular programs aimed at the needy.
“They’re killing our community,” said Halle, who is the director of the Grace Youth and Family Foundation on Center Avenue.
Halle, who has served the homeless and those with drug and alcohol addictions for 31 years, said he feels the “Housing First” and “Harm Reduction” philosophies are having a negative effect not only on Butler’s homeless individuals, but on the community too.
The models are supported by the state and federal agencies that fund social service programs that target homelessness and addiction.
He said the Housing First philosophy is meant to connect homeless individuals with housing immediately, without requiring them to participate in various social programs and classes aimed at getting them back on track.
According to endhomelessness.com, “This approach is guided by the belief that people need basic necessities like food and a place to live before attending to anything less critical, such as getting a job, budgeting properly, or attending to substance use issues.”
Halle said that philosophy doesn’t take into account the people it’s meant to help.
“To the average person, this makes sense,” Halle said. “But if you’re talking to an addict, they are not thinking with a logical brain.”
Allyson Rose, the county’s community development coordinator, sees things very differently.
“I am 100 percent in support of those programs and that’s truly what I believe in,” Rose said on Monday.
She said if a client is addicted or struggling with mental health or other issues, basic needs like housing must be met before progress can be made on the problems that got them there.
In addition, Rose said, it’s impossible to apply for a job or insurance without an address.
“As a human services worker, you have to start with understanding,” Rose said. “You need to meet people where they are.”
A full story appeared in Wednesday's Butler Eagle.
