There is only one way to solve homelessness

What am I missing? Homeless encampments are a major problem in Boulder County. Word has gotten out around the entire country that Boulder is a welcoming and generous community for the homeless/unhoused. “Build it and they will come” and the vast majority do come from outside Colorado — see the recent article that counts more than 75% coming from outside Colorado. This will continue, without end, as we try to treat this population compassionately. Unfortunately, it has become obvious that we don’t have the scarce resources to really address the problem, and it will only grow due to our admirable compassion. So how do we address this conundrum? I have been wondering about an answer for a very long time, 20 years living here watching it grow every year, with more and more “travelers” coming here. Permit me to make a suggestion that’s more permanent and cost-effective than our current approach:

Build a permanent homeless encampment that is located away from public spaces, close to utilities, and not too far from social services. Buy fully insulated tents that are suitable for Winter (like the kind I bought for Tibetans for about $500 each!). Build Central washroom and kitchen facilities that all residents will maintain and use together. Detailed rules of the encampment will be required, of course.

What am I missing? Wouldn’t this be a far less expensive, practical, humane, permanent, long-term solution that keeps the tax-paying public out of conflict with the less fortunate homeless/unhoused community? Our present path is surely unsustainable and doesn’t really solve the problem. Do we doubt that fact? Just hike Boulder Creek, go to the Library, go to the bandshell, and your eyes will tell you the obvious: The problem only gets worse and more expensive every year. The homeless/traveler population is only growing every year. Do we want to solve the problem or just put a band-aid over it, without ever really solving it, to no one’s benefit?

What am I missing, Boulder?

— Stephen Smith, Boulder

I know you by your beep

Protesting along Highway 287 every Saturday has been a way to unite with other community members in support of democracy — and it has been a learning experience, too! I’ve learned to recognize the beeps, the beeps of those driving past us honking their car horns to share their agreement with us. There’s the deep, resonant horn of the older grandfather, the fast, high-pitched horn of a small Hyundai, the beep, beep, beep of the retired school teacher, the firm, steady honk of the father driving by in the family car. Standing along the curb, we all wave our signs vigorously. When a 4×4 goes by and honks, we know the younger citizens are with us, too. Hooray! But, oh, you should be there when a commercial truck or a car carrier comes down 287 and honks. We go wild. We’re all in this together — and we know you by your beep!

— Carol Rush, Loveland

Boulder is becoming a crime-ridden encampment

Kudos to the author of the recent letter to the Daily Camera: “Camera has obvious anti-Trump Bias.”

Now that the Boulder Weekly has stopped publishing, the Camera has taken the lead in Trump Derangement Syndrome. But to be fair, this has much to do with the left-wing bent of its readership that has turned Boulder into Berkeley. What Trump is doing to create law and order in our streets flies in the face of sanctuary policies supporting illegal aliens and criminals.

I have often thought that the one thing that would unite all Americans is the love of their children. I just don’t understand why we can’t support their safety. If we continue down this sanctuary path, we will see more fire bombings on Pearl Street, and our city will be indistinguishable from the crime-ridden homeless encampments of San Francisco and LA.

— Brett M. Kingstone, Boulder