HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-06-24 Public Comment - A. McNellis - Ordinance 2147From:Audrey McNellis
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Ordinance 2147
Date:Monday, August 5, 2024 8:37:53 PM
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I am a Bozeman resident submitting my comment on Ordinance 2147:
If you have ever been homeless like I have or close to it, you would know people without a home need resources. Most people who don’t
have permanent housing are working people. A lot of them pay bills, provide for themselves, and for their families. This means they are
vital members of our community. Fines and civil punishment only make it harder for houseless people to find PERMANENT housing
solutions. With lack of access to transportation, not being able to miss work or afford more childcare, missing a court date can be a
significant obstacle, which can results in warrants, court fees, and furthering financial instability and the chance to find a set place to live.
Does someone going through those things sound like a criminal to you? Imagine a single parent, working full time, only making enough
to pay bills, feed their family, while trying their hardest to make sure they have somewhere to sleep every night. Punishing a person like
this would tear a family apart and ruin lives. Being houseless is not a crime. The real way to solve the housing crisis would be to offer
permanent solutions, to house people. We can implement ideas like social housing and affordable housing overlay because density does
not mean affordability. Developers cannot keep making hand over fist, while our community gets gentrified under the guise of helping
the housing crisis. Solving the housing crisis by helping to house people doesn’t just help those who are unhoused, it helps us all. Please
consider how criminalizing houseless people only worsens the housing crisis and puts people in danger. As a community, we can make
this city livable and safe for everyone.