Yes, you're right about this being only the visible part of the homeless population. It's tough to really track down on the not so visible side of homelessness. There probably are many people living in cars, crashing at friend's houses, etc.

I wont deny that living or being next to these camps is terrible. I took the bus along that route and I would never get off there because you never know what could happen there. But while shuffling people around does have benefits, it doesn't solve the problem of homelessness (no matter what the city says). Lots of this stem from the overall lack of safety nets, housing, education, etc. A tremendous task, but I'd love to see progress being made.

[–] duffman 1 points 6 months ago

We have a lot of programs though. Maybe they aren't doing a good job marketing themselves. Were you aware of these? Or do you consider them insufficient or under funded?

Housing and Essential Needs (HEN): A program that provides rental assistance and essential needs like food and transportation to low-income individuals who are unable to work due to a disability.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF): Offers cash assistance to families with dependent children to help cover basic needs, including housing.

Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) Program: Provides funding to local governments and nonprofit organizations to develop and operate housing and supportive services for homeless individuals and families.

Rapid Rehousing Programs: These programs offer short-term rental assistance and case management to help individuals and families quickly transition out of homelessness and into permanent housing.

Emergency Shelter Grants: Funding provided to local governments and nonprofit organizations to operate emergency shelters and provide essential services to homeless individuals.

Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program: A federal program administered locally that provides rental assistance vouchers to low-income individuals and families, including those experiencing homelessness.