To the Editor:

The last several weeks have brought the issue of homelessness into painful focus in the Marquette area:

1) Room at the Inn, the homeless shelter on Washington Street in Marquette, continues to operate over capacity and right now needs overflow emergency housing to keep individuals from having to sleep outside and risk injury or death from cold exposure.

2) The Salvation Army has again stepped forward to help organize an emergency overflow shelter for some individuals and families in their chapel. However, it may take up to a month to open this shelter.

3) Some townspeople have pushed back against sites that have been proposed for the temporary overflow housing shelter for December. Certain residents are demanding that the Room at the Inn be shut down. Several of the people working hard on finding solutions to the housing crisis have admitted to being the target of threats.

Do we really really want to put out our fellow humans into the cold UP nights to fend for themselves? Do we not all benefit when we show mercy and kindness to people who, for complex reasons, are unable to find long term housing?

The problem of homelessness in Marquette is daunting, but it is not unsolvable. We need immediate help for overflow sheltering of families and we need long term solutions to house everyone. There are between 100-200 people who are homeless in Marquette County right now. We have the goodwill, funds and expertise in this county to solve this long term. Let us each examine what we can do and take the next step forward.

Sincerely,