The Boulder Shelter for the Homeless has not reached its capacity of 160 for the past several nights, despite the very cold and snowy conditions. This can be attributed to two factors: 1) It’s the first of the month when SSDI/SSI monthly benefits are received by many homeless people, who use them to party in a motel for several days; and 2) The emergency warming center operated by Boulder Outreach to Homeless Overflow is attracting many homeless people who enjoy its so-called open-door policy, which means a lack of supervision compared to BSH.

I hope that there won’t be any sort of serious incident at the warming center, which would cause the participating churches to reconsider their role. Alas, however, I think it’s only a matter of time; many of the Denver transients seem to be committed to trashing everything in Boulder which benefits the homeless.

I, for one, think it would be much better if the City of Boulder would open the North Boulder Rec Center on very cold nights, and put a couple of Boulder PD officers there to assist BOHO staff in maintaining good order. This would mean that all those who are really drunk or high would be “offered” a ride to the Addiction Recovery Center for detox; better this than allowing them to stumble away from a church into the darkness to pass out and freeze to death.

Just an idea from your faithful blogging bum, er, homeless philosopher . . . And I will be doing a post soon on Uncle Sugar’s ridiculous giveaway of taxpayer dollars, in the form of “disability” benefits, directly to homeless alcoholics and drug addicts.

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