149 signatures, 911 Incident data, Variance date August 28th 6:00 pm

How about some compassion for neighborhoods? The MUST Variance 2017-22 to build a new shelter at 1260 Cobb Parkway is the organization's 3rd planned expansion of Elizabeth Inn since 2012. It will add additional beds in a configuration more friendly to families and will also add administrative space at the new location on the east side of Cobb Parkway near Bells Ferry. It is moving ½ mile closer to neighborhoods and will be adjacent to local businesses. Why are the neighborhoods concerned? Are they just NIMBY or is there a basis for their concern? Elizabeth Inn is a temporary, emergency shelter for those who need help in finding more stable housing, job retraining and other supportive services. They include families and women with children and to be admitted to the program they can not have substance abuse issues. They have reached out to MUST for help and they deserve a “hand up”. There has also been an unsheltered, mostly male population in the area for years, camping in undeveloped wooded areas, who have had access to MUST's open campus lunches and other services in the daytime. In 2012, MUST expanded their Day Service program to accommodate more of these unsheltered homeless “who live in their cars, in the woods and other places. The Daily Outreach Center offers a large clothes closet, daily breads and sweets, bathrooms, showers, social services, phones, mail and computer use“(Chao, Angela, Local Churches Build New Facility for MUST Ministries, Patch, 06/08/12). https://patch.com/georgia/acworth/local-churches-build-new-facility-for-must-bf5cbb17 Long-time area residents report having seen an increase in the number of unsheltered homeless who gather at bus shelters, panhandle at the intersection and local restaurants and walk to the MUST campus. Some are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Data from the Homeless Report and other studies confirm that the chronic unsheltered population tends to have mental illness and/or substance abuse issues. Most of these do not want a “hand up” to get on a better path. They do like the “handouts”, however. When a group of people with dysfunctional behavior are camping in close proximity to residential neighborhoods it is a valid concern not a NIMBY attitude. GA 2015 Homeless Report: http://www.dca.state.ga.us/housing/specialneeds/programs/documents/HomelessnessReport2015.pdf HUD Continuum of Care Housing Inventory Count Report Georgia 2016 https://www.hudexchange.info/resource/reportmanagement/published/CoC_HIC_State_GA_2016.pdf Even as the homeless population seems to have increased in the area near MUST, overall, the unsheltered homeless population in Georgia has declined since 2011. The GA Homeless Report 2015 estimates there are between 200-499 homeless in Cobb County and there are 101-350 beds, leaving potentially 150 unsheltered persons in Cobb. We are waiting on the Cobb 2017 Homeless PIT count to be made public. Below is Incident data gathered from Marietta-Cobb County 911 from Elizabeth Inn and surrounding businesses for a 12 month period. Not all incidents are serious but in total, Elizabeth Inn creates a huge drain on Public Safety Departments in Marietta-Cobb and there is a spillover effect to area businesses. Address / Organization / Number of Incidents past 12 month period 55 Elizabeth Church MUST Elizabeth Inn 394 (160 visits Marietta Fire, 345 Cobb Police) 1291 Bells Ferry McDonald's 138 1251 Cobb Pkwy Exxon 82 1199 Bells Ferry Rancho Grande 61 1230 Cobb Pkwy BP 52 1201 Cobb Pkwy Burger King 40 1507 Church St Ext. The Extension 35 1220 Cobb Pkwy Fidelity Bank 26 MUST has 72 beds and opens the campus for day services after breakfast at 7:30 am until late afternoon before dinner when residents return. The Extension is “a licensed residential recovery program serving homeless men and women of Cobb County who suffer from alcohol and other addictions.” The number admitted is comparable to MUST but the program lasts 11 months and The Extension is a closed campus. Must's 2nd expansion occurred in August 2015 when 8 beds were added. See Patch article: https://patch.com/georgia/eastcobb/must-ministries-opens-additional-beds-elizabeth-inn The Variance for 1260 Cobb Parkway, currently owned by Cobb EMC, will be the 3rd and largest expansion, potentially adding over 30 beds in a new two story building. Many of the Petition signers would prefer that the Variance be denied. We feel that regardless of whether the Variance is approved or denied, the Day Services to the unsheltered homeless population should be stopped. It enables this group to remain in the area and it puts the public at risk. It places a burden on Public Safety. MUST's response to our request to restrict Day Services onsite was to contact affiliated Non-profit organizations and ask them to continue the Day Services off campus. Simple Needs GA, like MUST, has many good programs but they also reach out to those “camping in the woods”. https://simpleneedsgablog.com/programs/tentssleeping-bags/ Give Homeless Hope has a similar mission. A number of Saturday events have been hosted at 1355 Bells Ferry at Orkin, very close to neighborhoods. While we understand the desire to show compassion to this group of people, we question the policy of giving the homeless tents and tarps so that they can camp comfortably on private property (trespassing). When giving them valuable items such as a new bicycle, is there any requirement for a demonstrated willingness to enter a program of job retraining or rehabilitation? https://patch.com/georgia/acworth/cobb-nonprofit-helps-acworthbased-give-homeless-hope The unsheltered homeless are not simply good people down on their luck. Their issues are more complex and many have serious, untreated problems (2015 Report on Homelessness). Why would MUST or any other organization wish to enable this population to remain in close proximity to a residential area when they are not receiving any type of treatment or oversight? How about some compassion for the neighborhoods? The Variance will be heard by the Marietta Board of Zoning Appeals on Monday, August 28th at 6 pm at City Hall, 205 Lawrence Street NE.