I'm not talking about locking them up and throwing away the key just because they have the misfortune of being homeless.
The recommendation I'd made to my congress critters several times over the last 20 years are Prison like centers for sheltering the homeless is More than just giving them a home, but giving them the services we give to our criminally incarcerated.
First, it's a voluntary facility with the sole exception of the severely mentally ill, and even then it would take a judicial review of their case.
Checking in assessments to determine mental wellness, capability, and ability.
Clean clothing, shoes, socks, undergarments issued.
3 hot meals a day.
Library, and education access.
Medical, dental, and mental health assistance.
Job finding assistance.
a safe secure, and monitored place to sleep.
Unlike prison, this would also be a place that would allow the residents to come and go.
Primary drives:
Identify, and help the ~20% who are severely mentally ill, and help them to a better road to wellness.
Provide counsiling and assistance to battered women, abused children, abandoned or run away children.
Help those who are just down on their luck get back on their feet through educational assistance, and job search/placement assistance.
Possible savings opportunities:
Some of the people who stay there could also end up getting employed there as security, cooks, laundry, administration. Heck, some of these places could potentially end up being completly run and operated by the same ones who stay/stayed there, and who would be more sympathetic management for a facility of this nature than the very people who've been through it themselves?
Really, if we can build prisons with all this stuff.. if we can build military bases with all this stuff.. why not homeless facilities (not just shelters) with all these resources??
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