OPINION: Humans are more important than the bottom line

Nearly four years ago, a homeless man froze to death in Downtown Jackson because of a lack of shelter. My first inclination was to wonder why the man didn’t seek safety at a local facility. To my surprise, I quickly learned that there was no permanent shelter in place for homeless men in Jackson - a fact that was easy for me to overlook because the plight of homelessness has never affected me or anyone close to me. I had the privilege of being ignorant.

In the immediate aftermath of that event, the City of Jackson began to work on a plan to build a facility for homeless men that would also provide wrap-around services such as mental healthcare, pathways to permanent housing, and avenues to employment. The City secured partnerships and grants, did the necessary environmental studies, and found a location that would best connect residents of the facility to needed support services near downtown. Various public meetings were held throughout the process to update the community on the progress.

Several weeks ago, however, questions regarding the facility’s location began to be raised by downtown business owners. Would the location of the facility attract more homeless people to the area? With the number of homeless people currently downtown, would adding more to the population negatively impact business? A closed-door meeting was held at Hub City Brewery with city leaders and local business owners to address any concerns. By the end of the meeting, questions had been answered, and fears mostly assuaged.

In recent weeks, as the deadline to finalize the city’s budget drew closer, the narrative regarding the homeless facility being detrimental to local businesses shifted to the cost of the facility and how that cost affected the overall budget, with one citizen even declaring the budget “a disaster” in part because of the inclusion of the cost of the facility.

In both narratives, the bottom lines of businesses and budgets took precedence over the lives and welfare of actual human beings. And it brings us all to the crossroads every growing city faces: what do we value as a collective community?

As a diverse city with myriad viewpoints, one thing we can all confidently acknowledge is that Jackson is poised for growth. We’re already seeing economic growth downtown. Property values continue to rise across the county. Businesses - from Ford to Amazon - are investing in West Tennessee. These can all be good things but are also fraught with cautionary tales.

According to a study conducted by Yale University in 2020, factors contributing to homelessness are multifaceted but have some commonalities: shortages of affordable housing, investment speculation in housing (i.e., investment properties), and sudden urbanization, to name a few. As Jackson continues to grow and evolve, our homeless population will continue to rise.

During the July 2 City Council meeting, Council member Candace Busby asked for a 30-day moratorium on moving forward with the facility. She placed it on the agenda after conversing with downtown business owners. However, when the time came for public comment regarding the meeting’s agenda (including the facility), a grand total of zero business owners were there to speak about their reservations regarding the facility. Busby’s motion for a 30-day waiting period was voted down 5-3-1, with Council members Larry Lowrance, J.P. Stovall (at the last second), and Busby all voting for the 30-day pause.

As I’ve followed this story from a distance the last few weeks and personally attended the July 2 council meeting, I’ve been thinking back to my initial assumption that the city already had a men’s shelter in place four years ago…and my embarrassment upon realizing they didn’t.

For the general population - some business owners, council members, and myself included - homelessness has been more of a distant idea (dare I say, a nuisance) than a reality - something that could negatively impact a bottom line or a city’s progression. As with most difficult topics, the humanity of the situation is discarded because it’s easier to think about things we can control - like a budget or a business model.

However, some things can’t be treated like a bottom line, and human beings are one of those. Jackson will grow; it almost feels inevitable at this point. Businesses will flourish. But if we continue to willingly blind ourselves to the needs of our most vulnerable citizens and prioritize finances above people, what kind of a city will we be? What kind of neighbors are we to our fellow citizens?

I want to be part of a community that values people over profits.

Gabe Hart is a local educator who has written opinion pieces for different publications in Jackson and across the state. The Jackson Post’s opinion/editorial page is meant to help launch public discussion of local issues or allow local people to discuss national or statewide issues. Publication of a column is not an endorsement of that column by The Post, its owners or any of its advertisers or employees. To join the discussion, send a guest column or letter to the editor to brandon@jacksonpost.news. Submissions for a specific week’s print edition need to be sent by Monday night. Sending does not guarantee publication that week as that is based on space availability.