Rep. Mike Bordes: A prosperous city must tackle complex issues related to homelessness

To The Daily Sun,

Laconia is at a crossroads in the journey of becoming a healthy, vibrant community. Looking into the future, do we create a spirit of development and possibility, or do we possibly become a city known for homelessness and quick fixes, i.e., God pods and pallet villages?

To support a prosperous Laconia, we must directly tackle the complex issues related to homelessness. While God pods or like concepts might provide the appearance of short-term relief, they tend to ignore the root causes of homelessness, including mental illness, drug addiction and financial hardship. It's imperative our city invests in initiatives that reinforce personal responsibility while building systems that combat homelessness at its sources while not wasting taxpayer money on temporary solutions that devalue our community.

Scott Everett's work in Lakeport provides a hopeful example of the future of Laconia. His dedication to redevelopment has improved local business and created a friendly atmosphere for residents and visitors alike. This kind of commitment is exactly what Laconia needs. We need to be seeking more developers like Everett — developers who will reinvest in our city with an eye toward long-term development and growth.

We need an approach that embraces everyone. Laconia can be a beautiful city and not looked at as a destination for the homeless. By working to solve homelessness with comprehensive solutions instead of fragmented responses, we can balance our objectives with the vision of transforming Laconia into a community that is full of opportunity for everyone.

We should be a community of promise and expansion, not focused on short-term solutions that cost the taxpayers and fail to resolve long-term issues. With emphasis on personal responsibility, Laconia can break through its current challenges and thrive for all of its citizens. The future of Laconia is in our hands, choose wisely.

Rep. Mike Bordes

Laconia