The op-ed by Ryan Francis about the homeless crisis, and the concurrent lack-of-compassion crisis, was truly amazing. His willingness to share his personal experience, as well as his willingness to see and articulate the opposite viewpoint, was refreshing. His detailed analysis of the problems we face in dealing with homelessness, how it is massively complicated and seemingly intractable, was insightful.
His conclusion that it is impossible for "residents to have it both ways" — no tent camp but also no shelter in my back yard — and that we must avoid "opposition without giving serious consideration to the existing options" is a call to action. Our efforts to date have not been effective and a different approach is certainly worth trying.
For me, Mr. Francis is welcome in my neighborhood anytime. He has much to offer.
This op-ed is one more example of the excellence of the Anchorage Daily News. Keep up the good work.
Jim Thiele
Anchorage
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