Group tackles myriad biases

The Inter-Faith Council's homeless shelter and its residents aren't only fighting for new facilities - they're also fighting a negative perception from members of the downtown business community.

Located at the corner of Rosemary and Columbia streets in the Old Municipal Building, the men's shelter has been fixed in the heart of downtown since 1990.

"The perception of the homeless is more negative than the homeless in actuality," said Charles House, the owner of University Florist and Gift Shop at 124 E. Franklin St.

The presence of theft, robbery and panhandling, and their perceived connection with the shelter, has caused some to think the homeless are bad for business.

This stereotype and other issues related to homelessness will be tackled Thursday at the Orange County Roundtable Discussion on Homelessness.

Jamil Kadoura, owner of the Mediterranean Deli and a downtown businessman for 13 years, said the shelter should be moved away from downtown.

"I grew up very poor and can relate to the people trying to make ends meet," he said. "But downtown has become scary, and everyone is complaining about it."

Kadoura said that his car has been broken into three times and that several of his employees' cars have been broken into as well.

But he said the police can only do so much.

"It isn't a good environment when people are stealing signs out of stores and smoking marijuana on the sidewalk," he said.

He also said that panhandling outside businesses has gotten worse in the last five years and that moving the shelter could reduce that problem.

House, the former chairman of the Downtown Commission, said that business downtown hasn't changed much in the last few years, but that moving the homeless shelter could be a positive thing nonetheless.

"Moving the homeless shelter wouldn't eliminate things like panhandling," he said. "It would help the perception of the problem."

He added that anything the town can do to help change people's perceptions about downtown would be a plus.

"Chapel Hill is a safe place, or it is at least safer than downtown Durham," House said.

Bunnie Coudriet, one of the owners of Jersey Mike's Subs, said the restaurant, which is about a block away from the shelter, hasn't faced any adverse effects from residents.

"There were a lot of homeless people around the restaurant during the summer, but it didn't bother us," she said. "I usually work every night, too, and I have never felt in danger - no more so than any other place."

Chapel Hill police spokeswoman Jane Cousins said it is hard to tell how many crimes could be connected with shelter residents based on the department's reports.

She said the department has arrested 13 different people for 19 panhandling offenses since Jan. 1.

Of those 13 people, one gave a Chapel Hill address, one address is unknown based on the police report, two people used the address of the homeless shelter and the remaining nine gave no address.

Capt. Brian Curran said the statistics could be skewed because there is no guarantee that panhandlers are giving police their real address.

Cousins said panhandling arrests also have decreased since the council banned panhandling after sundown last year.

She said that the first quarter of the 2003-04 fiscal year produced 12 arrests for panhandling and that the first quarter of the 2004-05 fiscal year produced only four arrests.

But Mayor Kevin Foy said the idea that crime is linked with the homeless hasn't been the main problem affecting downtown business.

He said the national economy and new competition from major retail markets such as Meadowmont, Southern Village and University Mall are responsible for downtown's woes.

"Where the homeless shelter is located doesn't matter," Foy said. "It just needs to have a more suitable facility, which the town is working on."

The IFC announced earlier this year its intentions to relocate its men's shelter.

Natalie Ammarell, IFC president, said the negative perception the shelter receives is damaging to the entire community.

"I think that everybody could work a little harder to see who the shelter serves," she said. "We have facts supporting our view that it is not primarily our clientele causing the problems downtown."

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.