I would like to commend the city and county for putting together the community forum on the unhoused in Durango.
As we know, there are lots of roadblocks to housing in La Plata County. The biggest factor is economic disparity. The gap is widening.
The city and county recently joined together to put a Band-aid on the problem of an unsightly camp by moving people to the Purple Cliffs – across the river from a very expensive subdivision.
I’ve lived in La Plata County for 20 years. At one time it was an affordable, accessible community. It has since become a fantasy land for a wealthy and entitled elite. This leads to further marginalization as more and more people are pushed farther out into the county. This only leads to more traffic and congestion.
The city and the county now have an opportunity to do something different and be a model and the inclusive, caring community we say we are. Providing long term solutions is the only answer.
Acres of open land by Mercy Hospital and Three Springs is a prime location for innovation. The bike path (when connected), hospital and police substation make it a wonderful option. But I fear as long we hang on to the philosophy of profits before people and NIMBY we are gonna use a lot of Band-aids.
Robin BrodskyDurango
