To the editor:

Eva Edmands (Public Forum, Aug. 10) chides the Barker neighborhood for not wanting a day shelter for homeless families in our backyards. That description is too simplistic. At a neighborhood meeting last Thursday, I was impressed by the thoughtfulness and compassion expressed by many who cannot support the shelter here because of a variety of concerns: property values; the haste with which this has been presented; even traffic congestion, for the safety of clients and neighbors alike.

Our concerns were heightened by learning Saturday that Family Promise acted Friday to request immediate approval, despite assurances on Thursday that the project hinged on neighborhood support – which was clearly not offered.

Dialogue and understanding are not possible when people oversimplify the views of others. There is no consensus among neighbors, but “not in my backyard” wasn’t a reason stated at that meeting for opposing the project. And, unfortunately, it’s difficult to “inform ourselves” when the information we can gather on the specifics of this shelter seems contradictory or, at best, vague.

But it’s not just the Barker neighborhood that needs to pay attention. By the time this letter gets published, the City Commission might well have acted to change the city code to allow shelters in residential neighborhoods. Code changes that have such ramifications for all Lawrence neighborhoods, not just this one, need due deliberation and full participation, not a rushed process laced with half-truths and oversimplifications. All Lawrence residents – those with and without a fixed address – deserve better.

Andrea Zuercher,
Lawrence