MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Some Monongalia County leaders are drawing attention to a social issue they conclude is negatively impacting business and development in Morgantown.
When a reportedly homeless man was charged with felony destruction of property accused of shooting and shattering a Monongalia County Justice Center window, Commission President Tom Bloom openly shared his disgust.
“I really believe it’s time to take a stand. I think the community, the downtown area, is wanting something to happen. This is why people aren’t going downtown,” Bloom claimed on WAJR’s Morgantown AM Wednesday.
Sammy Martz, 40, was jailed on a $50,000 bond. His address is listed as Morgantown. According to Reverend John Sonnenday, Executive Director of the Coordinating Council on Homelessness, Martz likely has a permanent address listed with a social service agency but could be homeless.
“The man who shot that window out did not shoot it because he was homeless. He shot it because he was engaged in criminal behavior. And, 99 percent of people who are homeless do not engage in criminal behavior,” Sonnenday offered.
Still, he doesn’t disagree with Bloom that panhandling and unruliness is a problem in the city.
“We have a group that has come into town recently that is hard to deal with. So, I think all of us share the concern that we need to address this problem.”
Sonnenday organizes annual outreach events with volunteers who help identify the number of homeless people who may be camped out in the region without a permanent address.
Bloom, who has worked with the Coordinating Council on Homelessness, said in the last 5 years he’s seen an increase of beggars on city streets.
“I go down Sunday morning and you can’t go 4 blocks without people coming out of the doorways bumming for money or asking for some help,” Bloom insisted.
Sonnenday’s council, working with city leadership and Main Street Morgantown, is coordinating a task group to identify and address issues sometimes associated particularly with the homeless population.
“It’s going to take all of us – the city, the county, public safety people, merchants and general citizens. Everybody is going to have to work together, and we can do it,” Sonnenday explained. “Tom says we got to do something and he’s exactly right. I think the time is right for us to do something.”
Members of a task force on homelessness have two responsibilities.
According to Sonnenday, a specific population in Morgantown needs activities organized to encourage community cohesiveness.
“Obviously for persons who are homeless, those are our clients who need places to gather. Even people who don’t have disposable income need places where they can go and do positive things,” he noted.
A recent Sunday afternoon community fun fair drew more than 400 people. Sonnenday said guests represented a diverse group of people from Monongalia County and the city.
A work group is also studying how city street ambassadors could make a difference in discouraging what Bloom called unwanted behavior downtown.
“You have a lot of people down there who are not here for the best interest of buying products. They’re hanging around. They’re bumming off of people. They’re making it very uncomfortable.”