Am I psychic or what?

Before you read this update on my post of May 21, "You owe me a place to live," you might want to go back and read it. The subject was the new homeless shelter in Dallas, The Bridge. I questioned how long such a facility could operate with virtually no rules. They required no real check-in procedure, no rehab, no payment, and one of the quotes was that it would be almost impossible to be kicked out.

Here's the update from today's Dallas Morning News. The subhead reads "Open-door policy has led to crowding, crime; center addresses issues." The reporter states that the open-door approach has led to "drug-dealing, fights, thefts and lax security." According to Joel John Roberts, chief executive of PATH Partners of Los Angeles, which formerly provided social workers for the facility, several staff members were assaulted by guests (that's what the homeless are called at The Bridge -- self-esteem thing, you know). He also alleges that security guards accepted gifts of pizza and soft drinks from known drug dealers. And, he says, there seems to be no formal system for identifying who is on the campus.

Mike Faenza of the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance says these problems have been resolved. They instituted (gasp!) a rule! No one may enter after the 10 p.m. curfew. In response to one of Mr. Roberts's allegations, that many at the shelter were not homeless but were there to prey on those who were, Faenza says that's not an issue -- they discovered only 80 such people and made them leave. He also disputes the claims of assault, saying they've had only one worker assaulted, then adding that "some staffers were uncomfortable working with people with serious mental illnesses." If that's the case, what in the heck were they doing working in a homeless shelter? Duh! What kind of people did they think they would encounter there?

Despite Faenza's claims that the shelter does not allow violence, drugs or alcohol, police say they respond to calls at The Bridge almost daily, most involving theft and fights. The police spokesman does believe, however, that The Bridge is making an effort to keep the place safe. I say the whole philosophy is flawed -- you can't have a bunch of people who either don't want to or are incapable of fitting into society gathered in one place with no rules and expect it to be safe. As one of the "guests" says, "This is a hellhole."

"Bridge a 'victim of its own success.'" The Dallas Morning News; July 18, 2008; P. 1A.