Last month, the Madison city council approved the $98 million redevelopment of the Edgewater Hotel. That sounds like a lot of money to the average Madisonian, but lately the city has been on a spending spree when it comes to new buildings—whether they're hotels, libraries or apartment complexes.
Even amid controversy over the contentious finance and construction exemptions required to go through with the Langdon Street renovation, the Edgewater proposal managed to emerge victorious. Despite a year of heated debate, with the help of Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and a few select council members, the city overcame a slew of regulations blocking the project, including a Landmarks Commission decision last year against the renovation and $16 million required in tax increment funding to pay for a public plaza, a staircase and waterfront improvements. The controversy isn't over yet: Residential opponents of the construction have filed a lawsuit against the city for its questionable legal practices.
The Edgewater Hotel renovation could begin construction later this year, and is just one of many new buildings popping up in Madison. The Central Library is also undergoing a $20-some million renovation, and new apartment complexes on Dayton Street, Spring Street and behind the Aberdeen Apartments are slated to appear in the near future. Many of these projects serve to house and board Madison citizens and visitors either permanently or for a few nights. But one demographic has been noticeably overlooked when it comes to the new construction projects aimed at providing shelter: the homeless.
Every student on campus has come into some form of contact with downtown Madison's homelessness problem. One walk from Library Mall to the Capitol guarantees prodding from a few peddlers, and the numbers are only growing. Although many of the homeless people on State Street struggle with drug and alcohol addiction, the vast majority are attempting to find employment. Yet, without a permanent residence, it's hard to obtain a legitimate source of income, and without money it's even harder to put a roof over one's head. This vicious cycle has left many out of luck and out on the streets, and unfortunately this group includes a large number of women and children.
There are shelters in Madison, like Porchlight, Inc. and the YWCA by the square, dedicated to housing and rehabilitating the homeless, but with more than 7,000 homeless people in Dane County, more than a few are turned away on a nightly basis. According to the state's department of commerce website, the entire state of Wisconsin received roughly $17,000,000 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to combat homelessness—only a fraction of the money the city of Madison alone is seeking to fund a single hotel renovation.
Many people question the city's responsibility to shelter the homeless at all. As a nation we apply the same philosophy to aiding the displaced citizens of Haiti after a devastating earthquake. It's simply a commitment to the advancement of the entire human race, and that same commitment encourages us to feel sympathy for those unsheltered, insecure and unsafe—compelling us to act.
Although homelessness and unemployment are wide-reaching structural problems, individuals can have a positive effect on some level. Volunteering at shelters or lobbying your local politicians to act on behalf of the homeless is a practical step to take. If you feel even more personally compelled to support the homeless, the upcoming Isthmus Block Party will take place Thursday, July 8 on State Street, and a portion of all proceeds benefit the Porchlight Shelter.
Although it's always important for a city to dedicate itself to economic development—either for residents or tourists—perhaps it is equally, if not more important to solve long-term problems that affect those nearly incapable of helping themselves; those without a voice. Lately, many advocates are running in and out of Madison promoting strategies aimed at growing businesses in the downtown area.
Unsurprisingly, hot-button topics like a high-speed rail, hotels and apartment complexes, job creation, bike transit, taxation and the environment have taken precedent for the past year inside the Capitol. In almost every instance, someone is benefiting either economically or politically from proposals aimed at the modernization of Madison. The author behind every issue knowingly targets specific demographics and constituents who have either loudly voiced complaints, or represent a source of potential financial assistance. Lost in the mix, with neither a pedestal to yell from nor money to throw away, are the homeless we all come across on a daily basis.
If politicians like the mayor or members of the common council are truly committed to the citizens of Madison, then they should make it a priority to take into consideration the issues facing the entire body of constituents—including the homeless. The next time an issue arises, say something along the lines of an expensive hotel renovation, that is not only legally, but also socially questionable, maybe it would be wise to postpone it in favor of a project we can all agree on—like sheltering our city's women and children. Instead of granting a controversial and potentially illegal $98 million project, the city should divert its attention and economic efforts from hotels to the homeless.
