LETTER: Eastside Cannery is perfect for the homeless

Edward Vodek recent letter about the Eastside Cannery being considered for a shelter and rehabilitation center for the homeless was spot on. Instead of having the shelters and the homeless spread all over town, they could all be housed and helped in a building that already exists and is almost perfect for that use. It could hold hundreds of people, already has large kitchen and dining room facilities and would be easy to secure with only a few entry ways in and out.

There are even large meeting rooms, including the casino area, that could be used for the different programs the homeless require. The rooms are the right size and could easily accommodate one person or a family. The parking lot is large and could accommodate people who have cars or other means of transportation.

If properly managed, it would not even have to resemble what most people think a homeless shelter looks like. Boyd Gaming and the powers that be who now run the hodgepodge of homeless facilities need to take a look at this and see if this is a workable solution. It’s time to think outside the box. With our water issues, we’re going to find it harder and harder to support more single family housing in the area.