The acrimony in the continuing debate about people who are unhoused in Wheeling and the region showed up in a recent editorial in the Sunday News-Register. This mirrors what is happening in many communities across the country. The problem is that we only want to treat the symptom rather than the cause. And we seem to share the naive assumption that the easy answer will work.

There are many ways people can become unhoused. Severe medical issues, low wages, burgeoning health care costs (where the working poor pay far more than insurance companies or the insured for the same medical treatment), mental illness, loss of a job, and substance use disorder are only some of the reasons. We dehumanize these people who are without shelter by language use that refers to them as “the homeless.” They are people first — their current situation of being unhoused is not a definition of who they are but a description of a current problem they face.

Abraham Maslow, an eminent sociologist, stated that the most basic of human needs are physiological needs. They are biological requirements for human survival, e.g. food, drink, shelter, clothing, and warmth. His proven premise is that “These needs are the most important as all the other needs are secondary until these needs are met.”

Some U.S., Canadian, and European cities have made significant strides in reducing the numbers of people who are homeless. It was not done by ban, fines, or the editorials’ expectation that private sector volunteers will do it. Rather, it was accomplished by recognizing the hierarchy of human needs. Municipalities, regions, and nations, which have a primary responsibility for organizing and funding efforts to mobilize the community and to fund supportive housing, made the difference. The premise — confirmed by years and years of research — is that people are better able to address other problems when their basic need for safe shelter is met.

If Wheeling truly wants to ameliorate the problems associated with unhoused people rather than endlessly debate the issue, it will require a Housing First policy. This would mean that we step up as a city, county, region and state to provide ongoing funding toward providing supportive housing. This will require ongoing city employees to lead the effort.

As a priest and pastor for over 50 years, I can assure you that it is foolish and unrealistic to believe that not-for-profit volunteer entities like Street Moms, Project Hope or our area churches will be able to accomplish what the appropriate governmental agencies refuse to tackle or fund. It simply gives the ability to point to someone else and to shift blame.

Housing First has proven most successful when the housing is accompanied by one-stop assistance with issues such as addiction, mental health support, job readiness, and other supportive measures to encourage successful re-entry into the mainstream of society. That was the premise of the Life Hub.

No solution will work for everyone who is unhoused, but creating supportive housing will work better than the present plan, which seems to be debates and blame-fests that get us no closer to addressing the crux of the problem.

Let us seriously address the problem. First, by re-authorizing a dedicated city employee to continue work with the not-for-profit sector in establishing the low barrier shelter, and a permanent camping site managed by the same city that enacted the camping ban. Locate it closer to the services that can help the unhoused. Allow reasonable zoning exemptions or changes for not-for-profit or public service entities to establish places where unhoused people can live, and store their possessions safely. Don’t allow NIMBY to make the determinations. And finally, as a public/private partnership, work together as a community toward providing what is the most basic need — safe housing with supportive services. For we cannot truly foretell when we, or someone we know, will have need of these services.

The Rev. Donald Hill is a resident of Wheeling.