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A city commissioner candidate in Great Falls, montana, Suggested use of city homeless population As a revenue generating “tourist attraction” during a forum event.
Pete Anderson, who participated in the October 20 forum organized by the Great Falls Neighborhood Council #5, suggested using the city as a way to make a profit. homeless population Which will also provide them shelter and services.
“I think there’s a completely untapped opportunity to turn the homeless issue into a homeless benefit,” Anderson said. montana free press“And there’s a tourist attraction just waiting to happen.”
Anderson is a construction contractor. This is his first time running for office municipal statusBut he previously ran for the state legislature as a Republican. He lost his primary in that race.
During the forum, candidates were asked what the city should do about its homeless residents. Anderson began his talk with the phrase “homeless island.”
He suggested that the homeless population could live in shelters sponsored by local businesses that would include advertisements for those businesses on their exteriors.
Anderson said he was inspired by the “poor farms” that existed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, where poor people could work for food and shelter. The farms were also used as shelters for disabled persons or those fleeing domestic violence.
He said homeless residents could make and sell items to visitors, which would turn the place into a tourist attraction.
“And what that will bring into tourism is that you can have a constant live market all the time,” he said.
In a follow-up interview with montana free pressAnderson explained his thinking with the idea, though he noted that it was a slightly “cheesy” pitch during the forum.
He said the essence of his idea was to find a way to provide housing to homeless individuals in a way that would generate self-sustaining revenue rather than relying on funding through grants or city coffers. Anderson suggested that the revenue generated from the venture would be spent on providing services and maintenance for the people living in the area.
“I think if it makes them money and it’s not disrespectful, I’m all for it,” he told the outlet.
On October 22, Anderson released a statement on his Facebook clarifying his views and challenging others to bring solutions to the table.
He wrote, “I’m going to address this before it gets out of hand. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with thinking outside the box and looking for creative solutions that help the safety and income of people experiencing homelessness. I don’t think anything is currently being done, if you really care about the problem please help come up with better solutions.”
He further stated that his “premise is that homeless people in Great Falls should have an area where they have housing, gardens, and a local market that can serve all members of the community.”
“Why not make something good? What’s wrong with making a profit instead of borrowing from the government?” He wrote,
An estimated 202 people in the city live outdoors, in emergency shelters or in transitional housing, according to data collected by the Continuum of Care Coalition.
Great Falls Public Schools reported that more than 400 of its students may meet the definition of homeless.