I have seen many posts about removing benches or making spiked surfaces to deter the homeless. They cannot exist simply out of malice.
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I once walked into a McDonald’s in Center City Philadelphia. There was a homeless guy sitting outside the restaurant. He asked me for a buck. I offered to buy him lunch, and he said, “Fuck off.”
Outside a Taco Bell, I saw a homeless guy sitting by the door. He didn’t say anything to me. I bought him a lunch, handed to him. He took it, and we never spoke. I could see him eating it as I drove away.
The homeless aren’t a homogeneous group. I volunteered at the Philadelphia Drop in Center. Three hots and cot, plus one clean pair of underwear and socks. Three days later, and back on the street you went.
We offered everyone a counseling, temporary housing, addiction counseling, you name it. The vast majority didn’t see why we would think they needed help.
The least restrictive laws in the United States have pretty much left the government powerless to take someone off the street unless street unless they pose a danger to themselves or others. Philly has a code blue system, where if the temperature gets too low, wanting to stay on the streets is considered being a danger to yourself.
Why are there anti-homeless measures? In many cases, it is an attempt to compel people to seek help. And in many more, it is to keep the homeless out of sight, and away from tourist and working areas.
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