Where are the homeless supposed to go?

[u/Garey_Coleman]

Cities have been cracking down on homeless people so they can’t have encampments or stay on sidewalks. At the same time usually the shelters are full. So those who are unable to get into a shelter, where are they supposed to go?

[u/Fantastic-Campaign31]

One of the biggest "holy shit, this is what the world is really like" moments for me as a new adult was when I went on a road trip and due to limited funds some nights I slept in my car. And I learned very quick how difficult it is to legally sleep in public. My brain couldn't comprehend it. I'm technically legally not allowed to just park on the street somewhere where I'm not bothering someone and sleep? Or find an empty lot overnight?  Then I wondered about people less fortunate than I who don't do it by choice. Who have no other option. It's incredibly sad that as a society you can't just...exist, sometimes. 

[u/WormedOut → u/Fantastic-Campaign31]

The laws are made due to the consequences of the extreme. If large amounts of cars park on the side of the road and are full of people sleeping, it’s a safety hazard. Public sleeping laws are to stop homeless encampments from forming.

[u/Indigo_Sweater → u/WormedOut]

The correct way to address that is to make it easier for homeless people to find housing. Not make it illegal. You can't just make everything you don't find appealing or even unsafe illegal, it's impossible to enforce and always leads to mostly innocent people paying the price. It's not a "consequence for the extreme" its political theater.

[u/Stunning_Scheme_6418 → u/Indigo_Sweater]

I feel like it would even be helpful for cities to open up a couple parking lots and throw a couple security guards in there and let people crash there. Make some rules about having to be gone at a certain time of morning can't come back till a certain time in the evening throw some porta potties up there. Temporary but better than rousting people and not having a safe place to sleep.