Oh sure, those that don’t want permanent shelter are certainly in the minority. I’m just saying the goal shouldn’t be to put everyone in a shelter (i.e. outlaw lack of shelter), but to have enough shelter options that everyone has access should they choose to.

I’m certainly no expert here, I’ve only volunteered with a handful of outreach groups and done some research.

It’s a vicious cycle being homeless, as no address prevents one from opening a bank account and also makes finding a better job very difficult.

I totally agree. Another issue is having your address be a halfway house or shelter, employers know those addresses and ignore those applications.

Ideally we’d build a ton of tiny houses for those who want shelter, and have the addresses be PO boxes to reduce discrimination. Things like drug rehab should be offered, but never required, and imo there should be a nominal payment expected so tenants feel like they are contributing (perhaps free for 6 months, then something like $20-50/month, with lots of forgiveness). The structures should be big enough to be comfortable, but not so nice as to discourage moving out once they have the means.

But these housing arrangements need to be voluntary. If we force people to live there, it’s not going to work. I know you’re not suggesting that, but I’ve heard enough people push for something like that. Being unsheltered needs to be an option, but it should never be the only option.