To the Editor:
I can understand that residents in the neighborhood where Stepping Stones Housing Inc. is hoping to build temporary housing for homeless people would be concerned about strain on town resources, traffic and such, but I was sad to see how the potential clients for this service were described in the April 10 front page article.
We do have homelessness in our area, even if we don’t see anyone in the street holding up a sign, as is often the case in Augusta or Portland. I wonder how a homeless person would feel, reading about concerns that “the town would be overrun by affordable-housing people,” as opposed to tourists (who don’t have to sleep in their cars), or that his or her presence might increase crime or drug use in Damariscotta.
How different is a homeless person from any of us?
I hope this issue can be resolved on a practical basis, without looking at a homeless person as “other”.
