Time for leadership in Rapid City to step up and prevent trouble with the imminent closure of Hope Center
People were shocked when the Hope Center (seen above in an image from its Facebook page) announced it would be closing its doors on Saturday, Dec. 8.
Since then, compassionate community members have been holding their breath, trusting our local leaders would take action. Almost two months later, City Hall and local law enforcement submit a feel-good Thanksgiving piece to the Rapid City Journal stating the obvious: we have many services within Rapid City. It was completely devoid of any tangible action repeatedly demanded by our concerned community.
We understand the city doesn’t want to set a precedent of bailing out non-profits, but we can all agree the Hope Center is not the typical non-profit. If you’re unfamiliar with the Hope Center, it’s a daytime facility serving houseless individuals offering a distinctively unique service: providing a mailing address required for job applications, state identification, and medical purposes. In addition, they offer secured vital records storage, free laundry, access to toiletries and grooming services, food and drinks, as well as Wi-Fi and computers. It also provides a place to gather especially during the bitterly cold winter months.
Sadly, what has been forgotten: it’s a safe point of connection for individuals experiencing a difficult time in life for a variety of reasons.
While the joint statement was a good reminder of the great work from other local nonprofits, it failed to share a harsh reality: the referenced nonprofits are maxed out. They’re experiencing restricted capacity, safety concerns, limited funding, and significant staffing challenges.
Failing to recognize and not sharing those issues were deliberate oversights, and conveniently removed responsibility from City Hall. That is not leadership.
Most of us understand homelessness is a serious and growing issue, so why isn’t finding a solution a priority? Where will the Hope Center patrons go this winter? Who will offer the specialized support and space for hundreds of individuals losing critical services?
It seems some leaders feel when the Hope Center goes away, the homeless will magically disappear, too. Rest assured, that will not happen. Closing the Hope Center without a tangible plan will only overburden the existing non-profits, negatively impact businesses and tourism, and eventually cost the taxpayers with the inevitable increased calls for service, resulting in more incarcerations and judicial backlog. Most importantly, there will also be loss of human lives, which is completely unacceptable.
We are exasperated and disappointed with our leaders’ pitiful response. Where are the leadership and accountability? Despite numerous inquiries, we are assured, “There’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes” which is repeated ad nauseam and lacks transparency.
With barely two weeks to go, it doesn’t make anyone feel any better, especially when that comment is coupled with “We’re going to make being homeless harder” or “Make ‘em pull themselves up from their bootstraps.” Common logic understands homeless life is already quite challenging and it’s difficult to pull non-existent bootstraps when you don’t even own a pair of boots.
Their piece concludes by encouraging “a community solution,” yet, last week, a secret stakeholder meeting convened, by special invitation only. Local knowledgeable professionals and organizations were purposely excluded. As concerned citizens, we would appreciate full transparency of the participants’ names, their associations, as well as the appointee selection process — the notes and outcomes from that meeting, too, please. This community has been waiting weeks for something far more substantial than a service directory.
We know there are good council members who regret blocking the Hope Center’s relocation, especially since it passed with unanimous Planning Commission approval.
We have seen our City Council change their minds over a simple city logo. Certainly, they can do so when there are lives at stake.
Homelessness affects us all, therefore, we need meaningful and inclusive collaboration. Local officials were elected to listen to our constituents and resolve complex community issues, so let’s act together. Form a citizen action committee to immediately address and provide basic services through this impending winter to save lives, while also focusing on sustainable, long-term solutions. This proposed committee should be led by our Common Council, involving authentic leaders and pooling local resources.
There are a multitude of people and entities who are willing and waiting. We simply need decisive leadership to take action, organize them, and get them to work together. Leaders lead.
Let’s stop deflecting and be proactive. There’s still some time. We’ve seen this community unite in emergency situations before and we can do it again. We are at our absolute best when we act together to find real community solutions.
Laura Armstrong of Rapid City is a speech language pathologist who owns a small private clinic. She served two consecutive terms on the Rapid City Common Council (2017-23) twice as council president, and remains dedicated to the Rapid City community.
