Can a homeless shelter ever be squeaky clean, guaranteed not to offend someone?
That's a question that could be raised after the closure of a temporary church-based homeless shelter that has helped hundreds of people get off the street.
Although crime wasn't an issue, some Port Coquitlam residents and businesses near the church where it was held last year thouaght the shelter overstayed its welcome.
Was there a way to calm people's fears and keep the shelter running?
Possibly not, police say people's fears about homeless people in their neighbourhoods was baseless but residents didn't like seeing strangers, possibly homeless people, on their streets and were made uncomfortable by non-criminal, but still off-putting, behaviour.
The fact is homelessness exists whether or not we provide people a warm and dry place to sleep.
Now that the shelter is gone, we'll find out what the real impact of homelessness is on the community.
It will still be there, rest assured, even though we turn a blind eye.
