GREENFIELD — While homeless residents on the Greenfield Common continue to increase in number, businesses aren’t sure what the impact is on downtown.
Those involved with downtown Greenfield businesses have mixed feelings about the homeless encampment on the common. While feelings of sympathy were made clear by business owners, some believe the homeless residents on the Greenfield Common could have negative impacts on business downtown. Others feel that it not only doesn’t hurt, but it might help.
“It hasn’t really negatively affected us,” Nick Paar, senior barista at Greenfield Coffee on Bank Row, said.
The business, located across from the common, has seen its share of homeless residents stop in and make use of their facilities, as well as purchase items.
Paar said homeless individuals have come in to use the bathrooms but they haven’t “left the bathroom in a weird way” and have been courteous about it.
Paar even said he thinks Greenfield Coffee has seen a bit of an increase in sales since the homeless encampment started about a month ago. He said a regular customer left “the Common Coffee Card,” which was meant to be used by those on the common for coffees and other small items.
Paar and Greenfield Coffee Regional Manager Jocelyn Fleischner said other customers have added money to the card since it started, with increments between $5 to $15 being paid on the card, including a payment made of $10 Sunday.
“Folks really care about the community,” Fleischner said.
Both Paar and Fleischner said the folks camping on the common have been kind and courteous in general, but Fleischner noted that customers, even if they haven’t been negative about the situation, have given mixed reactions of “concern or curiosity.”
Thai Blue Ginger’s manager Anan Nistri said he hasn’t seen the homeless residents impact his business on Main Street, near one of the common’s corners.
“I don’t think it has anything to do with our business at all. I feel bad,” he said. “They’re not interfering with anything around here.”
Nistri said if businesses are seeing an impact to their bottom line right now, it is more likely to be because this time of year residents are going on vacation.
Nistri said his business has let homeless residents use the bathroom when they ask and hasn’t experienced any issues thus far.
He added that he wasn’t certain what could come if the population continues to grow on the common, but said that it may bring even more awareness to the issue, which could help find a solution.
But not all business owners had the same reaction as the employees at Greenfield Coffee and Nistri.
Bill Baker, owner of Baker Office Supply on Main Street, said while the community has been compassionate, the issue of homeless people camping on the common needs to be resolved.
“Something needs to happen. It’s unsanitary. It shouldn’t happen in public,” he said.
Baker said he has “no problem with the people, just a problem with what’s happening,” and called the situation “ridiculous.”
He said some customers have expressed negative reactions to the growing population on the common, and according to one of his clerks, “people are a little afraid.”
Still, Baker said he doesn’t expect the homeless encampment to impact his business but thinks that it “adversely affected the image of Greenfield.”
Another business owner who requested anonymity said there could be an impact on businesses if loitering increases in downtown. “There’s always been police action and vagrancy but not to the extent it is now,” this individual said.
Stating the homeless are keeping the common clean, there’s a concern among a portion of the greater community, this business owner said. “I think people are scared and they are going to avoid this (area) … “the problem with Greenfield … it’s a lovely town but it’s extra liberal. It’s almost become too liberal.”
Madelynn “Mama Bear” Malloy, who has become the de facto spokeswoman for the homeless residents on the common, said “most businesses have been supportive and accommodating,” but some “not so much.”
She said she understood the negative feelings from some because it is their livelihood and would refrain from calling out certain businesses. Most businesses, save a few, have let the homeless residents use their bathrooms, which appears to be the most common need on a day-to-day basis.
However, Malloy singled out two establishments that she felt have been very helpful to the residents on the common: Greenfield Coffee and the Second Congregational Church on Court Square.
“Greenfield Coffee has been amazing to us and make an incredible cup of cappuccino,” she said. “We’re very grateful for their hospitality.”
Of the church, Malloy said parishioners have opened the doors every evening around 9 p.m. to let homeless residents use the bathrooms.
The Second Congregational Church representatives could not be reached for comment, as well as other businesses because of hours of operation or because they are closed on Mondays.