When enough is enough. Has the city of Nashua reached this point?
The growing homeless encampments popping up across the Gate City have been dominating headlines. And people seem split on what should be done.
The latest challenge concerns the largest homeless encampment located on Nashua’s west side in the Millyard by the Pine Street Extension (about 80 people). A man living at the encampment was arraigned on second-degree assault charges for allegedly strangling a woman and threatening her with a knife near busy Pine Street and Veterans Memorial Parkway.
Homelessness is not going away, but how can the crisis be stemmed?
Last Tuesday evening, the Government Committee on Infrastructure met at City Hall. Mayor Jim Donchess, several aldermen and other city officials sat down trying to hammer out a thoughtful, proper approach. The room was filled with concerned citizens who took their turn at the podium.
Cynthia Whitaker, the president and CEO of Greater Nashua Mental Health, asked the committee and the Mayor to use humane and respectful approaches rather than punitive ones. She delivered perhaps the most poignant message of the evening:
“We’re asking people to be invisible without giving them anywhere to go.”
“We cannot simply remove camping and parking without providing sustainable options,” Whitaker explained. Police enforcement is costly and without alternatives, “It doesn’t reduce homelessness; it merely moves people from one location to another, often into more dangerous and isolating situations, where it becomes harder for outreach workers to connect them with the services they need.”
A few months ago, an encampment developed in Ward 1 along Celina Avenue, consisting of individuals sheltering inside a row of campers and trailers parked along the road. Nashua Police had their hands full, towing five to seven unregistered vehicles at any time and then having to find holding space in the city for these large, disabled vehicles.
The committee voted to recommend imposing a 2-hour parking limit on Celina Avenue to prevent another encampment from developing in an area where multiple companies are trying to operate their businesses.
As far as prohibiting camping on public property and giving Nashua Police the authority to enforce the ban, Mayor Donchess says the police need the tools to do something now.
Donchess says the city is in the process of establishing a resource center for the homeless, but in the meantime, Nashua and the rest of Granite State cities and towns don’t get much financial help. “The city of Lowell receives $258 million annually of school aid and $30 million of general aid,” the Mayor explained.
“Nashua receives about 20% of that amount… It’s different here. The state gives us nothing for the homeless, no general aid, no support, no help. We don’t have the resources to spend $10 to $20 million a year on any new project.”
Donchess told the crowd he understands the need to treat all individuals with humanity, but “Are we treating the people at the Pine Street Extension with humanity when we let that situation exist?”
Ward 5 Alderman Ernest Jette is against the ordinance. The longtime attorney says, “These citations are pieces of paper; they don’t have the money. How are they going to pay?” Jette asked. “Not all the homeless are criminals. Let the homeless who are not violating any laws, not a threat to anyone, live peacefully. Don’t remove the homeless people from the only place they have to live.”
The full aldermanic board will vote on these measures at its next meeting on Oct. 28.
Joan T. Stylianos
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