> The current state of homelessness in Seattle sucks for everyone. Regular citizens of the city are rightfully getting fed up by the lack of progress. That’s important because the only way we can solve it is with the support of the public. Attacking me isn’t doing anything to help.
Okay, yes, we need the support of the public. But if we get the support of the public by appealing to the self-centered fear of people who live in homes, you get more of the solutions we already have: put spikes on the stoops and make benches impossible to sleep on, send cops around to wake people up every 30 minutes, etc. People haven't forgotten about your fear: that's all they care about. That's why they've driven all the homeless into a few select areas which are now scary and dangerous: so you don't have to be afraid, because you don't have to go there. Solving that last little bit of the homelessness problem will never be a priority because the fact that you want to go somewhere you don't have to go but can't because you're afraid just isn't a real problem. And if someone does decide it's a real problem, they can always just deport the homeless to another state[1].
The solution to homelessness is homes. No counseling, rehab, or drug treatment is going to reliably cure someone's mental illness while their basic physical needs aren't met. And giving homes to the homeless is an expensive solution that isn't going to be palatable to people unless they can muster a bit of compassion for the homeless. Because if all you're trying to do is create a safe space for people with homes to walk around, sweeping the homeless under the rug is a "good enough" solution.
[1] https://www.nbcsandiego.com/investigations/Nevada-Settles-Ho...