Residents’ frustrations are growing as a new task force begins its discussions toward new solutions.
Roanoke’s debate and frustration over its homelessness predicament boiled into an act of public defiance last week.
After a contentious meeting about the issue at Crystal Spring Grocery in South Roanoke Oct. 8, a city-owned bench in front of the restaurant disappeared, reportedly the next day.
The bench is a flash point: It’s frequented by transient people in one of the most affluent areas of the city, raising the concerns of those who live and run businesses in the neighborhood. The neighborhood was also shaken earlier this year when 80-year-old Susan Williams was murdered in her South Roanoke apartment building by a felon who was homeless…