Rothenberg cares about the unhoused
Our wonderful city is not a paradise for everyone. We’ve heard estimates that 250 unhoused people live here, and that’s not counting myriad others who are unstably housed or in peril of losing their housing. Encountering our unhoused neighbors makes many people here anxious — business owners struggling to stay open, tourists from the hilltowns, and even many long-time residents. That is a natural human response, and we don’t judge anyone for feeling that way. But we have to find ways together to push through those fears and to meet the unhoused and other at-risk residents not as a problem to be solved but as real people.
City Councilor Quaverly Rothenberg is working non-stop to help make Northampton a better place for all its residents. Through our personal connections with unstably housed friends and community members, we have observed that what most of them suffer from is a lack of human connection and critical breakdowns in the support networks all people need to flourish. This city can rightly boast of many fine social service agencies and programs to help those in need. But the most vulnerable among us need not only connections to resources, but the experience of caring and nurturing relationships living in community. Quaverly builds such empathetic relationships. She walks the streets — making friends with the unhoused, with those struggling with addictions, with veterans suffering from trauma — shares their stories on social media and brings their troubles and concerns into the heart of her work as a city councilor. Even in the heat of a tight political race, she takes time to brainstorm with those working among the insecurely housed, trying to craft the most creative solutions to problems that can seem intractable. For her, this is a calling, not a retirement job. We urge our neighbors in Ward 3 to pull together on Nov. 4 and send Quaverly back to do what she does best.
J. Scott Jackson and Leah Gregg
Northampton