Interview with Linda Gibbs, Mayor Dr. Tim Mahoney and Harm Reduction Director Jan Eliason on homeless issue
(FARGO, ND) – Officials from the City of Fargo have brought in a national expert on homeless issues to help the city work through the continued discussion on the problem that is impacting residents of the region.
Linda Gibbs, from the company Bloomberg Associates, has spent the last several days working with local leaders to come up with ways to address homelessness. Gibbs, prior to joining Bloomberg, was Deputy Mayor for New York City, working with the Health and Human Services sector. She has seen – and dealt with firsthand – homelessness through her work in New York City.
On Tuesday, she met with City Commissioners to talk about the issue.
“I think we had a great meeting with the commissioners to kind of outline the problem, the issues and then a plan,” Fargo Mayor Dr. Tim Mahoney said. “Any of the commissioners could ask Linda questions and with her background, she could answer many of them.”
Gibbs said that a strong foundation has been built to address the homeless problem in Fargo – all while balancing two parallel issues, the first which include those who are unhoused and the location of the Downtown Engagement Center. She said the location of the engagement center ‘creates a perception of issues around public disorder.’ The second is the service response that meets the needs of the unhoused.
Gibbs said the conversations have been productive.
Jan Eliason, who is the Director of Harm Reduction at Fargo Cass Public Health, says she appreciates the insight of Gibbs.
“She doesn’t have to spend a lot of time at our building to see that physical space hasn’t been as accommodating as we had hoped,” she said.
