This editorial makes sense for the chronically homeless, which nationally are about 20 percent of the total although the percentage is higher in Eugene. Besides shelter they do need some other supports. Using a "housing first" policy of putting chronically homeless people in apartments with their rent paid, other cities have had about an 80 percent success rate in keeping them housed, and it's actually cheaper than leaving them on the street.

The majority of homeless people are that way temporarily and just need safe shelter until they can find housing. Community Supported Shelters and Nightingale Health Sanctuary have been successfully managing legal "rest stop" camps that provide emergency shelter for a few years now, at very low cost compared to the alternatives. 

Nightingale has been shut down by the city -- turned into a six person car camp under St. Vincent de Paul -- for lack of a site. The city needs to override neighborhood NIMBYs and provide city land for a site.