TO THE EDITOR:

Over the past 10 years the IFC, town of Chapel Hill and numerous community organizations have been planning and searching for a new site for a transitional housing facility for homeless men.

One of the specific needs identified during this process was access to public transportation. The mobility of the homeless is often constrained by certain social and geographical factors, including the location of public services and lack of access to reliable, affordable and easy transportation options. Mobility is crucial to the ability of homeless people to move between stigmatized and non-stigmatized places, such as employment. Public transportation services offer a critical outlet for homeless individuals with limited resources who must use public transit to access services, shelter, affordable housing, education and employment.

The proximity of 1315 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., the proposed Community House location, to a major transportation artery satisfies the critical public transportation need identified above. Locating the Community House at this site makes sense because it means future residents will be able to conveniently take a bus to work, to a class at Durham Tech’s Orange County Campus or to UNC, and to conveniently access common household necessities.

I support the IFC’s Community House proposal, and I hope that the advisory boards and Town Council approve it.

Carlo Robustelli

Chapel Hill Resident