GEORGETOWN, Del. — An online group in Georgetown is calling on town leaders to address what admin say is a growing homelessness problem.
The Facebook group, “Make Georgetown Great Again,” has more than 3,000 followers. It was started by Amber Kairos and Tyler Scott, who say one of their main concerns is safety.
“Over the past five years, I’ve seen a steep decline in Georgetown,” Scott said. “If you look at the group that we made, you will videos of people stealing, a lot of theft going on, a lot of people trespassing.”
The group’s administrators said they do not believe every homeless person is causing issues, but they want to bring attention to the problems and encourage stronger support systems.
“We can get people that want help, the help," Kairos said. "For the people who don’t want help, there should be some consequences to that. You shouldn’t just be allowed to live in the woods and panhandle all day. We want you to do better."
“Georgetown keeps its homeless at rock bottom," Scott said. "They give people plenty of food to eat, but the truth is, they’re not helping people with addiction, mental health, or permanent housing."
Scott repeatedly referred to the Shepherd's Office, a local homeless support non-profit, as an organization that the group does not believe is addressing homelessness in the area properly. Shepherd's Office food manager and volunteer Patricia Minnigh disagreed, and said their mission goes beyond simply providing handouts.
“Occasionally it’s a handout because you don’t have any choice. They don’t have any choice," Minnigh said. "But our biggest thing is to try and give them a hand up so that they can become independent, they can get jobs and live on their own.”
Minnigh encouraged anyone concerned about homelessness in town to get involved with their organization.
“People need to be forgiving, accepting, and gracious towards this conversation," Minnigh said. "You know, but by the Grace of God, there go all of us."
Georgetown town manager Gene Dvornick said there is only so much that can be done, as panhandling is protected under the First Amendment. However, Dvornick cited recent ordinances, such as one prohibiting sleeping overnight in the circle, and one targeting people from loitering in crosswalks, as two recent measures that relate to issues residents have had with homelessness.
Dvornick also said they have worked with local businesses to address any loitering issues that may occur. Dvornick also said the town continues to work with state and local organizations to increase access to support systems and affordable housing.
"I don't think everything the government does is always visible. So I think there's things that happen, that move in the right direction and are done very thoughtfully and purposefully," Dvornick said.