[Intermernet]

This is like putting a bandaid on skin cancer. What you're describing is a symptom of social inequality and a terrible attitude to public health, both physically and mentally. Hiding the symptoms doesn't solve the problem.

[xienze]

Then by all means, tell us the solution. Because progressive meccas like San Francisco and Seattle, despite spending more and more money on the homeless every single year, can’t seem to figure out what to do either.

[verall]

Because progressivism has more than one axis. SF is full of rich NIMBYs that prevent dense housing from being built.

Some ""conservative"" cities are better because "pro-business" laws allowed more units to be built so less people fall into homelessness. There are still examples like Houston though which has always had homelessness problems in spite of trying to build as hard as possible. Obviously it's not a probably with a single answer as there are people that are homeless for different reasons.

[fzeroracer]

So let me flip the script on you: What conservative states and cities have solved the problem then?

[choko]

"Flip the script" seems like a fancy way for you to deflect from answering the question.

I can tell you locally we put people in jail when they defecate in the streets or shoot up in public. We also offer space at shelters for people that can follow basic rules - no drugs, no fighting, etc. In addition, our local food bank is fairly well stocked and funded, and several churches in the area have outreach programs. The end result is that I can walk downtown and never have to dodge human feces and rarely see a panhandler.

[fzeroracer]

I can almost guarantee you that other people in or around your city will likely have the opposite opinion, especially if they live in an area of town that has homeless encampments. I've lived in Texas and that's been my general experience. Even deep blue Austin takes a more conservative approach to dealing with the homeless population and the end result is simply pushing their problem onto other people because said homeless population and their camps move further out of the city core.

The reality is that you see downtown being clean but don't see the other people you've pushed your problems onto. And that's a consistent trend of trying to solve the homeless issue in America through things like bussing initiatives, relocating homeless camps and so forth. No conservative or progressive city has solved this problem because it's a societal issue with the US in general.

[seanmcdirmid]

Sounds like Bellevue WA. They don’t have much of a homeless problem because Seattle is right across the lake where the police aren’t as strict.

[pandaman]

Texas is pretty successful with banning "urban camping" despite progressive cities like Austin objecting. It might not be the result you approve but I enjoy not having panhandlers and people drugged out of their mind wondering into the traffic on every intersection near a highway and being able to walk under an overpass without dodging piles of junk and aggressive crazies.

[tstrimple]

Florida. By shipping the homeless off to where they can’t escape and folks can’t see them.

[dmix]

The City of Miami and the area around it is a sea of blue in a swing state.