by Ellie Blaser
Several people came out on Thursday, March 17th to support for the Human Services – Homelessness – Emergency Cold Weather Planning hearing.
The bill would call for: “Establishing an emergency cold weather council in each county [and] establishing the membership of emergency cold weather.” The bill would also require local administering agencies to provide a plan regarding homelessness on or before October 15th every year.
It would also call for “administering agencies to initiate specified plans under specified conditions” and would be “requiring specified agencies to collaborate to create a specified reporting system.”
Several speakers, including the sponsor of the bill, Senator Pugh, spoke on the seventeenth in favor of the bill and the ways in which they feel it would benefit the status of homeless people in Baltimore.
Pugh is a member of government who is currently running for mayor in Baltimore, and showed lots of support for the bill.
In her statement, Senator Pugh said that is it the responsibility of those in privilege in Maryland to make sure that people didn’t go homeless in such a flourishing state.
“The bill establishes a cold whether council in each county that consists of six representatives from various local entities, and is chaired by the local administrating agency and by the department of human resources,” Pugh said. “Each council must work with local providers and guidance for the HER to develop an emergency cold whether plan that must include specified elements.”
Pugh went on to say that during the winter in Baltimore it is easy to spot a homeless person on every single corner. “If you look under the bridges in our city, you will see people who have actually set up homes underneath the bridge.”
She also said that it is important to look at this issues as intertwined with other things, like possible drug addictions, and said they would be willing to work with Addiction Councils as well. She finally urged the bill to receive a favorable review so that it could benefit those in need in Baltimore during the winters.
Senator Delores Kelly, who is serving on a joint-committee on ending homelessness, responded to Pugh’s statement, saying that she felt it might be a good idea for everything to be under the same joint-committee blanket. Senator Pugh disagreed, but says she thoughts that eventually it possibly be handed off.
Not everyone was so enthusiastic about the bill, including the city of Baltimore, which has issued a letter of opposition.
“There is a letter of opposition from the city, that they say they have a fair robust operation in place,” said Senator Rollie Heath. “We don’t want to be duplicative, would there be room for an amendment that says if a county has an equivalent board that accomplishes these goals that that would satisfy the intent of the bill?”
Senator Pugh said that she agreed, but that she did not feel the city of Baltimore was in a good place.
“The city certainly has not solved this problem in any way,” Senator Pugh said. “I’m telling you, the corners are increasing, and so are the people living under the bridges.”
Senator Pugh was not the only person to speak on the bill’s behalf, as did first time speaker and University of Maryland student Sarah Gregory.
“Each life in our community matters – it is our job to preserve the most basic of human rights, which is the right to live,” Gregory said in her statement. “This becomes so important when dealing with vulnerable populations, and homelessness is one of the most vulnerable populations, with many obstacles in the way on the right to life.”
Gregory went on to say that she thought the bill would have a positive impact on the homeless people of Baltimore.
Others from Frederick County said they think the bill will have a positive impact.
“I think this bill is personally great,” said Devan Wassum, intern at the Frederick Rescue Mission. “Everyone should have a voice no matter what class they’re in. As far as improving the shelters in Frederick is a great idea and there could always be more room and space for these people to stay in.”