As the Burbank community debates the permanent closure of the winter homeless shelter at the Burbank Armory, courtesy of a few disgruntled neighbors concerned as to a possible negative impact on their neighborhood property values, I would like to invite members of the Burbank City Council to visit their city staff counterparts in Santa Monica for a tour of the impressively-successful Ocean Park Community Foundation network of shelters.
Not only have these various shelters notably improved neighborhood property values, they have extended grace to members of our community who have found themselves for a variety of reasons out on the street. I would strongly encourage the Burbank neighborhood to step up to the social network plate, and ignore their most primary NIMBY ('not in my backyard') tendency to look away from the issues of homelessness in our community.
I have lived in the Burbank area since moving to California in 1986, have been an active volunteer with OPCC's Turning Point Shelter since 1987, and their advocacy on behalf of the less fortunate among is exemplary AND effective. We have absolutely nothing to fear, in our neck of the woods, by reaching out to the less fortunate in their time of need. God knows, many of us are just one paycheck from being out on the streets ourselves. And besides, it's just plain good manners.
Comments