Reply to What is with all the homeless tents in DC?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]There aren’t enough homeless shelters / resources for these people. When you get a bunch of NIMBYs blocking developments geared toward this population, this is what happens. Our city also needs more counseling and psychological support, a lot of these people don’t want to be in permanent housing.

Have a little compassion for those out on the streets. Be grateful you can afford to live in an expensive city and not out on the streets. [/quote]

I’ve read that this is untrue and there is in fact housing/shelters but they are considered undesirable by tent dwellers because there are rules.  Can someone who is more knowledgeable about this weigh in. [/quote]

I work for the city and this is true in the majority of cases.  1) homeless people do not like the rules in shelters. 2) homeless shelters are too loud or there are fights, things stolen etc.  3) mentally ill people cannot make good decisions on where/how to live 4) mentally ill people, even those with pyschosis cannot be forceably treated until after they commit an act of violence 4) DC law requires housing for all families, the city spends 10s of millions on housing families indefinitely in hotels in Prince Georges County. 5) some homeless famlies purposely come into the district or are "encouraged" by law enforcement elsewhere to come here to get hotel housing from DC.[/quote]

What are the rules that they dislike? No drugs?  Lights out at 8pm ? Just wondering if it feels like a prison there. [/quote]

Not necessarily lights out, but generally you must be in the shelter by a certain time, maybe 6-9pm.  You also must leave the shelter by a certain time in the morning.  As was mentioned, no drugs or alcohol.  I'm not entirely sure on this, but the shelters may force their occupants to be actively looking for employment.[/quote]

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