Because it is unsafe for people to stay on the medians, continuing to allow solicitation would be irresponsible and unconscionable. While we advocate for or against median soliciting, we should not miss an ideal opportunity to contemplate our community response to homelessness. Most of the people on the medians are homeless. As a community, we should work hard to assist people to escape homelessness. We know that environments can be negative or positive.
Positive environments assist people to make changes in their lives.
This is why structured therapeutic environments help adults with serious mental illness, chronic substance abusers or emotionally disturbed youth. Negative environments interfere with the individual's ability to pursue a positive vision of the future. As a community, we have created on the medians a negative environment in which homeless solicitors are enabled to continue nonproductive, frequently addiction-driven lifestyles. Advocates for the hawkers and beggars argue that they have a right to the homeless lifestyle. This is a case in which people who need help are hurt by the helpers.