(CO) Collins' answer to homelessness: Ship them out and 'make them work'

http://gazette.com/collins-answer-to-homelessness-ship-them-out-and-make-them-work/article/1522039



Collins' answer to homelessness: Ship them out and 'make them work'
By Jakob Rodgers Updated: June 25, 2014 at 8:28 pm

Helen Collins has a unique approach to helping homeless people in Colorado Springs: Give them a bus ticket out of town and "make them work."

The Colorado Springs councilwoman spoke up Tuesday against the city's 2014 Action Plan for housing and homeless programs - sparking a brief exchange with councilwoman Jill Gaebler and prompting two audience members to also voice their opinions.

The exchange began when Collins, who represents District 4, offered her take on homelessness and the action plan.

"A lot of the homeless, the best way to get rid of the homeless is to give them a bus ticket back to their families," Collins said. "This isn't even taken into consideration. It's like the taxpayer has to fund the homeless for housing.