‘We’ve got our hands full’: Bladensburg neighborhood worried about impact of proposed shelter – WTOP News

WTOP/John Domen

WTOP/John Domen

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The Bladensburg, Maryland, location of a proposed shelter is well accessible to bus routes, in addition to grocery and comfort shops; however some who dwell within the neighborhood say they’ve considerations in regards to the influence it may have.

Prince George’s County has been in search of a spot to construct a brand new homeless shelter for a very long time. Three completely different websites are into consideration, together with a vacant church that sits on the nook of routes 202 and 450.

“We’ve a city police pressure right here that’s understaffed. There’s empty positions. City workers is understaffed; empty positions there,” stated Steve Whites, who has lived in Bladensburg for nearly 50 years. “Our city can’t deal with any extra. We’re busy sufficient as it’s, making an attempt to keep up safety right here within the city and maintain issues working. A homeless shelter right here would overload us. We’ve received our fingers full already.”

Prince George’s County leaders careworn that nothing has been finalized but, however residents stated they haven’t heard from anybody within the county concerning their considerations.

Kristina Smith has lived in Bladensburg for 35 years, and she or he talked a few Howard County facility her late son frolicked in. It provided remedy and counseling and an general stage of help that made a important distinction.

She admitted she may very well be satisfied to help a shelter if comparable sources and help can be provided there.

“We don’t know. Is it only a place to accommodate individuals after which throughout the day, they’re simply hanging round?”  she requested. “That doesn’t profit them nor does it profit our group.”

Bladensburg is barely about one sq. mile in measurement, and the again of the church, the place the shelter would theoretically be, backs as much as residential streets and is adjoining to highschool bus stops.

“Through the day … the place are they going to go?” Whites stated. “There’s no public restrooms right here, they usually’re simply going to be loitering across the procuring middle.”

In recent times, there was discuss shopping for the church and changing it into a brand new city corridor, with group rooms for conferences, events and different occasions.

“We would like one thing that may … deliver cash to the city,” stated Abdoul Diakite, who agrees with Whites. “This takes extra from these funds that got to us than it might truly deliver us.”

He added that an inflow of homeless residents may stress the city’s skinny sources to serve different individuals.

“I don’t suppose the city has the means to do this,” Diakite stated. “It’s a must to give us the sources.”

Requested in regards to the budding opposition final week, County Government Angela Alsobrooks expressed frustration with the pushback, however she acknowledged residents might need considerations and different visions for the positioning.

“The unhappy factor about this topic, round homelessness, I will be very blunt about it, is that we’ve got been making an attempt to unravel this problem across the county; and the difficulty could be very clear: everyone loves poor individuals so long as they don’t dwell anyplace close to them,” Alsobrooks stated. “That’s actually what I’ve discovered.”

“Everybody says, ‘We actually love and care in regards to the poor, however are you able to tuck them away so I can’t see them?’” Alsobrooks stated.

City residents bristled at that accusation, citing work that was achieved throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and different occasions, which have focused residents in an space that doesn’t have a whole lot of financial power proper now.

A press release from the group “Higher Bladensburg Block by Block,” a civil group selling financial enchancment, stated “The fact is that the city has been greater than accommodating of needy populations. We’ve achieved our half, however we merely can not afford to help one other entity which might create extra calls for on our faculties and public sources.” The group additional stated:

“The City of Bladensburg wants to minimize the tax burden on its owners badly. A method of doing that is by attracting enterprises that will produce tax income for the city. The Central Baptist Church (the positioning of the proposed shelter) is a major location and, if used correctly, may generate actual income for the city.”

Alsobrooks expressed a willingness to work with the town about furthering financial improvement objectives and revitalizing a city that has seen new life breathed into different close by cities and cities, however hasn’t seen the identical investments occur there but.

“I’ll work with them to verify we are able to obtain their objectives,” Alsobrooks stated, reiterating, “Everyone loves poor individuals for as long as you don’t must dwell close to any of them. And I feel that is unhappy. I need to discover a technique to do each.”

She promised {that a} new facility wouldn’t simply be railroaded right into a group with out engagement, and that’s the half that hasn’t occurred but.

“I actually, on an emotional, psychological, religious, mental perspective, I get it,” Smith stated. “We haven’t heard something. We haven’t heard something.”