I personally witnessed the human toll homelessness took on people, as a volunteer at ESA and Friendship Shelter for over two years. The real benefit to me, however, was discovering how easy it is for a community to come together and create a shelter, so that the care of the poor and helpless is not a burden on any one person or family. As a result, the media was instrumental in the closure of the Santa Ana House and the La Habra House, even as the media complained that there were too few emergency beds in Orange County. Peace of mind has to be worth .35 cents a month. Finally, in conclusion, I think it is important that we recognize that homelessness is not a partisan issue, to be exploited like a football at a game.
Homelessness is a deadly serious issue with grave public safety implications.
It should not be taken lightly, but then again, it should also not be viewed as a criminal problem, that can or should be remedied by the construction of yet another prison. The answer to every social problem is not to make it a punishable offense, but to get at the causal factors. In many instances homeless people are outright mentally ill, and as such may pose an uncertain risk to the whole society. Others are harmless if their basic needs are seen to, like a place to bathe or use the toilet. It is when people don't have basic needs that they get desperate, and impulsive, and it is at precisely the worst moment that such people snap, and can cause massive destruction, even with the best of intentions.