Imagine having a family to visit during a hard time, but having no way to get there. This is the problem experienced by thousands of homeless people every year.
The City Council of Medford is looking at setting aside $25,000 a year to aid in paying for one way bus tickets out of Medford for the homeless population. This money comes from tax dollars generated by marijuana sales, a drug that was legalized a few years ago statewide.
The program is unique and doesn't force any of the homeless people to leave. The service is there for those that have a family and want to leave. The program will be put on by different social service agencies. These agencies would be able to talk to the homeless people and assess if they had needs and families that would be willing to let them move in.
The city of Medford is still working out the details to avoid people that may try and take advantage of the program. One of the discussed methods would be to make the tickets non-refundable. They city is unsure if $25,000 a year is too much or too little, but with over $1.3 million tax dollars coming from the marijuana industry, there is plenty of cash flow to harvest from.
This program isn't unique to the Medford area. In fact, the ticket program has existed in other cities, including this one in San Diego. While they've all had different results, most cities consider the project a success.
The City Budget Committee has already approved the program, but the City Council must still vote to approve the plan.
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