I guess I'm a bleeding heart liberal

[haele]

29. First thing, not all homeless are the same.

While the cost of housing is spinning out of reach for many, others really just are on the streets because they can no longer care of themselves, because they're on their own with nowhere to go, or because they have serious issues that need to be resolved before they can take care of themselves.

Second, there needs to be adequate shelter available for the variety of homeless instead of just rousting them from one park, highway easement, or alleyway to the next.
There needs to be more robust shelters for families (biological or otherwise), couples and pet parents.
Shelters for transients or people with mental health issues and substance abuse needs to be different than shelters for working poor or emancipated teens/aged out foster kids who are trying to work or go to school to support themselves.
You can't shelter elderly or disabled in bunk beds, if that's all that's available.
There also needs to be some way the homeless can store personal papers, medicines, valuables, tools needed to work with, etc., without worrying about these things being stolen, left behind, or trashed by police cleaning out a camp.

There is no "one size fits all". Safe camping and parking areas with on site facilities and support infrastructure are good. Renovated Hotels and converted office complexes for single workers and students are good. Tiny home family communities with onsite maintenance and visiting support groups are good. Recovery shelters for addicts and transients are good.
Truly low income and affordable housing in community settings based on ownership instead of just renting is also good.

But these solutions cost money and time, as well as a will to deal with all the issues. And unfortunately, people who aren't worried about becoming homeless any time soon (or are avoiding the possibility that it could happen to them), think that the poor aren't worth the effort. Because "they worked hard and made it, why can't the homeless".

So, the basic "fix it" the State of California is looking at is to not roust unless appropriate shelter is available. And a big tent or warehouse with bunk beds, benches, porta-potties and a bored rent-a-cop with a food truck that drops by three times a day is not f'ing appropriate shelter, not enough to force someone out of a tent or car where they can have some privacy and can keep their personal items somewhat safe.

Money or Human Dignity. IMO, It all depends on what a community is willing to give up.

Haele