Jayson Whitehead has a really interesting story in the current C-Ville about COMPASS Day Haven’s difficulty in getting started. The organization has been working to provide a day shelter for the local homeless population, but trouble finding a location, the loss of a fiscal agent, internal conflicts, difficulty establishing a board and zoning trouble have all slowed them down.
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
Sideblog
Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
foursix and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
-
Archive for Sideblog »
When reading the article, I knew the situation was destined to become a mess when it stated that a consultant was able to hire somebody to staff the organization. A lot of chielfs there, or should I say chefs? I did find it amusing when several of the homeless stated that they stayed at the homeless shelter right across the street when they couldn’t stay at the new one on the corner of Ridge/Monticello.
In this story fashioned by WVIR, I found it also amusing that one woman was upset that COMPASS wasn’t providing her with housing for free: http://www.nbc29.com/Global/story.asp?S=7488417&nav=menu496_2_5 . I guess it’s going to take a lot to figure out how to help the homeless. I wonder what national successful model (often called “best practices”) is being employed here in Charlottesville by COMPASS.
AFAIK, the shelter across the streets is cots and the place that COMPASS tried to open was more like assisted living apts, and intended to be transitional. I’m sure those 20 people were excited about getting a place, but then the city withdrew the permit on Halloween, the day before it was to open. The article explains why they did it, or implies why. COMPASS had been taken over and was going in an overly ambitious direction, instead of focusing on opening a daytime-only center at that fantastic church bldg. on Mkt. St. It didn’t sound like “best practices” were involved, but who knows. I’m just relying on what’s in the article by Jayson Whitehead. When the new COMPASS people tried to assert control of that valuable bldg., everyone came down on them: the Hollywood donor of the bldg., the steering committee for the Mkt. St. church bldg. project, the city, etc. And now the day center is back on track, with COMPASS out?
There is sooooooooooo much more to this then you all will ever know.
The City never gave Mrs. Wright a permit to run any kind of shelter, just an assisted-living facility for people who are physically unable to live alone. Homelessness does not fit that definition. I agree, the article became very vague at the end and I guess we will have to wait for further developments unless #1 – #17 will enlighten.
The city has many shelters. Some run only in the winter, some all year. All of them run only at night.
These are horrible places to be. The ONLY reason to set foot in one is to keep your fingers and toes.
The solution is to get people real homes. Shelter or no shelter, we’re still homeless. All you can do is stuff us in a church basement so we don’t freeze to death?
HOW much money is the city spending on cutting carbon emissions? Seriously… what the fuck is wrong with you people?
“HOW much money is the city spending on cutting carbon emissions?” I don’t know of any dollars used to cut carbon emissions spent by the City. A resolution to look into it is on the agenda tonight.
“The solution is to get people real homes.” You had a home once; you weren’t born in a stable. Only you can figure out why you don’t have one now and only you can do something about it. If the tax payers give you a house and you keep doing whatever it is that you are doing, you’re just going to be homeless again. We are having enough problems keeping our homes as it is. If you can type on a computer and post to a blog, then I don’t feel sorry enough for you to buy you a home. Great scam.
“Seriously… what the fuck is wrong with you people?” It’s not us, it’s you, Mr. Computer Literate. Answer that question about yourself.
Hooray for you, Cville Eye. Its exactly the same thing I have been thinking.Puh-leez, we have had enough of acronyms for programs for the lowlife element that hangs out around Lee Park and the library.
Time was when they would have been rounded up and run out of town, carted to the county line and told to never come back,unless they wanted to go on a chain gang. They don’t know how lucky they are to have a bleedingheart city government trying to find them handouts.
I am all for helping those like families who have been burned out, abused kids ,and the like, who are truly in need. Not a bunch of sponges, con artists and drunken bums and layabouts.
We are not in the Depression. Charlottesville and Albemarle have low unemployment rates. People may gripe about immigrants-but these people,whether here illegally or not, are hard workers. They are willing to do manual labor, not hanging out somewhere wanting people to feel sorry for them and give them a free ride.
WOW I am astonished at what I am reading here, it reads like some far away land. Are you guys fricken serious? Do you really think the homeless are all drunks and scam artists? You really need to put down the TV remote and read some more.
I do not speak about “the homeless.” People are homeless for many different reasons. I was speaking to the one writer asking someone to GIVE HIM A HOME. If you want him to have a home Mr. Self-Righteously Indignant, then give him yours, or at least one of those vacant bedrooms or sofa beds or blow-up beds you have. Or, he can stop doing whatever it is that keeps him homeless and stop asking somebody else to go to work and give hime a home.
It is a real mess. Good intentions but missing money and an obvious attempt to avoid the process that everyone should have to go through to respect the process and the neighborhoods. Trying to play this through the media by saying the Charlottesville doesn’t care for the homeless and “wants them to die on the streets” is a sad attempt at avoiding responsibilities. In the end COMPASS needs to account for the monies, get a new leader, and find a way to go forward with better direction.
I’m sure that Dave Norris will get COMPASS going again with a little effort. I sure hope somebody kept records of expenditures.