Rapid City, S.D. (KELO) — A service offering a one-way bus ticket out of Rapid City was met with backlash.
As it stated those individuals wouldn’t be able to return to Pennington County.
The program is popular.
“People walk in our door every day and as recently as yesterday came in for assistance because they no longer wanted to live in our town and had family members in another state,” Tice said
So far this year, 46 people have received a ticket, with 34 traveling out of the state.
Recipients originally had to sign a document saying they wouldn’t return to Pennington County.
“People sign these things because they’re in desperate situations. Your options are to take this bus trip to wherever or have nothing,” NDN Collective Local Organizer Taylor Gunhammer said.
The document now says they understand the ticket is a one-time service and they may not receive another ticket in the future.
“The mission still remains the same if we can give people a way to get home or if there’s other support systems we’re going to help folks do that. Because they come to us asking for that and agencies refer people to us,” Pennington County Human Services Director Barry Tice said.
Some people still question whether the program sends the right message.
“Why the proposed solutions for the problem of houselessness in Rapid City always involves removing houseless people from the site. The people with homes and cars, etcetera, and it is never rehabilitating those people’s economic conditions or providing an actual place to go,” Gunhammer said.
Pennington County Human Services also said that they aim to better communicate with the community as their goal is to help those sent to them with their needs.
