To the Editor:
Your June 16 lead article, “No Vacancy,” is most disturbing. Homelessness is a problem and Bridges to Independence may be an excellent facility, but Carpenter’s Shelter is our primary concern. Your story references an expansion, a 90-100 unit expansion as guided by City Council.
Not that long ago Carpenter’s Shelter, McDonald’s and the First Street intersection were listed among the city’s top 10 crime sites. Nearby HOAs still complain. Consider the midday huddles of homeless people who are required to leave the shelter during the day. The unemployed often take refuge elsewhere — in nearby underground garages, in Barrett Library, etc.
If proximity to Metro is an issue, ask Hoffman to consider a trade. Put Carpenter’s Shelter in Eisenhower Valley. The Valley has both a metro stop and multiple bus lines.
Plunking an at-risk population described as awaiting treatment in a known crime area, amid public housing settlements, makes no sense. Alcohol, drugs and murder can all be found nearby. Why further concentrate poverty?
We wish Alexandria would outgrow its naiveté.
Nolan Alexander
Alexandria