Letter: Homeless Housing in MCLA Dorm is NOT the Solution
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To the Editor:
Initially, I was not against the idea of MCLA's president, Jamie Birge, announcing plans to open a currently empty dorm building for housing homeless families, however, the more I've talked with neighbors and friends, the more I believe it's a horrible idea.
As a direct neighbor to MCLA, I didn't have a problem with the Boardman Block being used for people in recovery once I learned about the support services provided (even though I don't believe it's an ideal companion to the students that work and live nearby and that MCLA should have had the vision to acquire it for themselves for future needs/expansion).
This current plan reinforces my long held belief that Mr. Birge has no vision for MCLA and, as a part-time resident of New Hampshire, he's not at all invested in the future of MCLA or North Adams. I question whether or not Mr. Birge has aggressively pursued all recruitment and retention opportunities and identified organizational changes to increase student admissions. That must be his No. 1 priority and I'm incredibly skeptical that it is.
If the homeless situation in North Adams is such that additional housing is needed then I am all for considering every option. However, if the homeless families would be relocated from outside the city, then I think Mr. Birge is simply looking for "easy" money. Unless all efforts are made to increase the shrinking admissions, Mr. Birge's plan seems no different than when North Adams slumlords placed newspaper ads in Troy, N.Y., years ago offering free TVs to Section 8 renters if they relocated to one of their North Adams units.
In the years since Mr. Birge has been MCLA's president, I've failed to see any evidence of passion or vision on his part to strengthen or expand the college's future legacy. Fault lies not only with him, but also with the members of the board of directors and selection committee. It's their responsibility to hold Mr. Birge accountable and to have made passion and vision for the college (and the city) top criteria for the job. It appears they've failed to do either.
By establishing a significant homeless population two blocks away from the new recovery housing, Mr. Birge would practically guarantee a continued decline in admissions and risk the future closure of the college altogether.
Again, I am in full support of identifying safe and comfortable housing for our local homeless population if that is an actual need. Such a proposal should not be situated on the campus of an already struggling college and should not be the solution for other communities' failure to address their own housing needs. If it is a local issue, then city residents should be made aware of it because I've yet to speak with any of my friends living all around the downtown area that have seen or know of a single homeless person in North Adams.
MCLA is a huge asset to the city, the county, and the state and should be treated as such. If Mr. Birge has not been able to successfully address the college's declining admissions then perhaps it's time for the fresh perspective of new leadership.
Kurt Kolok
North Adams, Mass.
Tags: homeless,
