Common Sense Neighbors In Nampa

It’s nice to see not everyone in the Nampa subdivision is getting up in arms about the new transitional home in their neighborhood. These people (Tim and Karen Abbott) sound like really nice people. They raise a few interesting points:

 A car across the street was broken into with a baseball bat over drug money some time back. Then their children were sent home because of a possible hostage situation in a nearby home.

“And people are worried about this?” Karen said, questioning the call by other neighbors to oust the nearby New Hope Community Health facility.

It’s not rational, but it is the concern. Because, don’t you know if you have no criminals living in the neighborhood, there’s no crime.

The couple entertained two residents of the Stonehedge Drive Staffed, Safe and Sober home on Thanksgiving and recently dropped off a plate of “Christmas goodies” at the home’s door.

“They’re good people,” Tim said.

Former Stonehedge house manager Adam Garcia has helped New Hope open five such sites, but he was still surprised by the efforts of the Abbotts to reach out to the men — especially with the outcry coming from other neighbors.

“It’s just a blessing,” Garcia said.

Indeed, some folks who’ve really got the Christmas Spirit.

Once the Abbotts knew of the intentions of New Hope, they didn’t fear for their safety or that of their five children — all under 16 years of age. In fact, most of their concerns are for the men in the halfway house, who’ve been “thrust into a situation they weren’t aware of,” put between angry neighbors and city government searching for a compromise, Tim said.

“I think it was a mistake for New Hope to put that house there without telling (the neighbors). Now anything that happens in the neighborhood, they’re going to get blamed,” Karen said.

There’s a point there, too. New Hope definitely has helped make this situation what it is. Yes, they have the right under Federal Fair Housing laws. Just because they have the right under federal law, doesn’t mean you don’t let people know first. Karen’s final point is salient:

“These people are going to be in the community anyway. Why should we be worried that they’re in a structured environment where we know where they are and that they’re getting help?”

So, we really have a choice. We either allow prisoners a smooth path to re-entry into society, we pay the cost of keeping them in prison as long as we can, or we deal with increase recidivism by not getting them the help they need. This is key when we’re dealing with non-violent and drug offenders. These are people, you want to rehabilitate and see become useful members of society. Most of the people I’ve met who are in these type of programs (including for more serious crimes than New Hope covers) are genuinely changed people trying to start a new life. How ’bout we let them?