In my role as President of the Morgantown Board of REALTORS®, I write about topics ranging from Real Estate tips and news, as well as the job market and economy since that affects Real Estate. One restriction my predecessors and I have self-imposed, is discussing controversial political topics. As the current spokesperson for MBOR, I still won’t make any suggestions as to what our local elected officials should or should not do, but I will give a perspective on our homeless and panhandling problem.
So, let me paint a picture of Morgantown and the surrounding area. We’re a vibrant, yet small city. For that matter, all cities in WV are small, but we’re not far from Pittsburgh and many of our residents come from larger cities. Growing up in a major metropolitan area, I thought homelessness and panhandling was exclusive to big cities. Well, in recent years, we’ve seen this explode even in small towns around the Mountain State.
So, imagine a REALTOR® meets a buyer who’s seeking to relocate here. Maybe it’s a doctor, a professor or anyone else taking on a new job in our community. Then imagine we take them through downtown and they see blatant drug use, sleeping on sidewalks, and trash to include needles in front of businesses and apartments. Also, imagine you’re a parent who’s considering bringing your child here for school! Well, we Realtors frequently hear the surprise and shock from clients. Many don’t realize how Morgantown’s declined in recent years. Yes, we have premier hospitals, a Big 12 university, new manufacturing and even a few niche employers. We do indeed have nice neighborhoods, retail and restaurants, but the homelessness and panhandling are discouraging some away from Morgantown. It’s simply a fact!
A coalition led by Mon County Commissioner, Tom Bloom, has made solid progress on reducing panhandling, particularly around traffic, which is a safety concern. That is noted and greatly appreciated! Keep in mind those who legitimately need help, have resources they can turn to. They’re provided by folks with caring hearts. They range from shelters to food pantries and more. To utilize them however, one is required to follow the rules of those establishments, but some, refuse to follow those rules.
Here’s where I might get controversial. If you want to help someone, keep in mind that giving cash often leads to purchasing alcohol or drugs. I would recommend instead you buy someone a meal, provide clothing, help them get to a shelter or maybe hire them for some work! I’m not making light of those who are legitimately down on their luck. There are some, but there are also fraudulent folks taking advantage of kindhearted people and giving them cash enables the problem! It leads to more panhandling, because it works! Also, not all of panhandlers are homeless. Some beg for money, because they make more than they would at regular jobs and I’d say it’s safe to bet they don’t pay taxes on those handouts.
It’s good and noble to help your fellow humans, but please do so wisely! Please don’t enable the problem.