I live in ATX near I-35. Homelessness is being brutally re-criminalized here. It's all about sweeping poor people under the rug so tourists can get drunk without being offended that the society is so unjust, uncaring, and unequal.
1) Homelessness is never a desirable state and it helps no one, especially tourism which employs a lot of lower middle class people. Look at SF and Portland.
2) Just because homelessness is bad != not providing assistance and putting these people in jail. They’re two separate issues. I would vote for progressive issues that are highlighted in the article but I can’t stand progressives that try to demean others by calling them ‘cruel’ and gain moral high-ground over others. It’s unproductive.
We should never accept crime and shitty streets as an acceptable compromise. We can do much much better as the article indicates. I am disappointed at how many people in SF Bay Area think that tent cities are okay and they think they’re some kinda of a saint for caring for the homeless. If they really cared, they wouldn’t have let this problem happen in the first place. Anyone who is trying to solve the problem is looked down upon here which is mind boggling. Immediately labeling people as cruel without having a deeper discussion is not going to solve the problem.
We should strive to eliminate homelessness and not make it the new normal.
I lived in vehicles for 9 years, so don't get self-righteous or white-knighting. It is cruel to criminalize poverty, and it is cruel to "benignly" neglect homeless people with a lack of services, treating them like criminals in the assistance programs, offer a troublesome patchwork of charity resources rather than integrated delivery, and give only a pittance of assistance instead of doing what is cost-effective and humane to get people into better situations holistically and comprehensively. Mental healthcare including psychiatry, social skills training, and therapy, substance treatment, nutrition, and good medical care are just some of the essential aspects of raising people up.
The US typically has an awful and abhorrent track-record when it comes to delivering necessary social services. For example, in Santa Clara County, an average homeless man without Social Security can expect to receive ~$149 in almost cash and ~$205 in SNAP (previously known as a "food stamps"). The ABAWD requirement comes-and-goes periodically with mandating work in order to receive benefits. (How can a homeless person hold a job if they don't have shoes or the resources to clean themselves?)
Healthcare is provided by substandard Medi-Cal (Medic-Aid) which now includes slightly less horrible dental services (Denti-Cal).
Cell phones are provided by the Lifeline service.