Let's be honest, homelessness in Madison is usually associated with an awkward run-walk past an old man shaking a Jimmy John's cup demanding that you, ""smile, cause you're beautiful."" And although he speaks the undeniable truth, his compliments come at a small price—the change in your pocket.
It's a common practice to refrain from giving spare change to those struggling on the street, but the notion of how and who actually provides help to those in poverty carelessly slips our minds. While we continue to believe that state government works tirelessly towards drawing up solutions, the fantasies that justify our deaf ears to pleas of the homeless are simply untrue.
Yes, shelters, such as Porchlight and YWCA, and the passage of a bill proposed by Rep. Cory Mason, D-Racine, which allocates $50,000 for two years to better help the dispossessed individuals of Dane County, strive to aid those in need.
But according to former member of WISPIRG's Hunger and Homelessness Campaign, Alana Bandos, ""Poverty is cyclical. Once you drop below the poverty line, you can't escape it."" Meaning homelessness will persist and government and private efforts need to substantially increase in order to adequately address the problem at hand.
Lisa Link Peace Park was a haven for the helpless before recent renovations took over. The park provided a refuge for those wandering through the day, as it was one of the few places on State Street where loitering and panhandling was legal. But to outsider's eyes, the park's homeless inhabitants made it a seedy crevice worth avoiding at all costs.
So what did the state decide to do? Well, gather private donations and use tax increment financing to revamp the square, of course! The $1 million overhaul comes equipped with a visitor's center, private bathrooms, a very intentionally placed ATM and finally, a significant lack of homeless individuals.
While it was never declared that the visitor center's objective was to drive homeless folks off the tourist locale that is State Street, the fact that the presence of an ATM prohibits panhandling within 50 feet of the facility portrays potentially undisclosed intentions. In a 2009 article in The Capital Times by Kristin Czubkowski, Tom Link, the son of the park's founder Lisa Link, is quoted as saying, ""It could just feed the perception that we are trying to change the clientele with an elaborate, expensive social engineering.""
He's exactly right. The existence of a new ATM and facility ultimately contributes to a cleaner, more family friendly park as local homeless people are forced to move elsewhere. And their migration is paramount in the debate over the impact of the park's reconstruction—the homeless population is only going to move elsewhere.
Surely the city doesn't believe that cleaning up one part of town where Madison's homeless find legal comfort is going to make the problem disappear entirely. They will just move to a different location that may be a less appropriate venue. Many already find shelter in the basement of the Capitol during daytime hours while others use public facilities on campus. Instead of fixing the problem, it seems the state is just dispersing it.
The reopening of Lisa Link Peace Park last Friday may not be a direct maneuver to eliminate the representation of the homeless in Madison, but it is definitely a sign that we are ignoring the problem. Between turning a cold shoulder to the man outside of Buffalo Wild Wings or silently watching the state fail to actively combat the problem, something needs to change. And the best way to start is right here on campus.
Students can do a lot through a small action of civic participation. Bandos agrees that, ""students can pressure state Legislature to pass more bills helping homeless shelters out. We compose a larger chunk of voters in Madison and they will listen to us.""
Besides writing a letter to your representative, there is an array of volunteer opportunities where students can help alleviate the strain of homelessness through hands-on participation.
The homeless population on State Street is only a small representation of a larger group of families and citizens trapped below the poverty line. Initiating building projects that only create stronger barriers for those who struggle to get by on a daily basis is an unacceptable avoidance of the real problem. While students may not have a surplus of money available, small donations of our time and activism will ultimately make up for what our government is lacking.
Sam Witthuhn is a junior majoring in political science and journalism. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
