Removing Homeless Encampments

19th August 2024

Dear Governor Newsom,

In relation to the policy of aggressively removing homeless encampments I feel that my insight on the subject may be of help. The homeless need to be somewhere but finding the right place is key and getting them to move there is a goal that has proven harder than expected.

In an ideal world we would bring the homeless back into society as full members. We want them to enjoy their rights, vote, pay taxes, and contribute to the economy. In that vein, building tiny homes and homeless shelters will do little but cement the idea that this is a permanent problem and not one we can move past as a society.

In the great depression homeless encampments were tolerated because there was little option. Again, the ideal solution would be to resolve the homeless situation and see the encampments shrink of their own accord. This is unrealistic but this does not change the fact that we need to work with not against the homeless.

Where the problem lies is that homeless shelters are places of high theft, little freedom or privacy, and to move to one the homeless are asked to toss away all that they own or a good amount of what little they have. Living in a dorm may look better than living in a tent, but they have a tent and can come and go as they please.

Why not designate tent encampment sites where food, sanitation, and civil services are rendered? Let them keep their tent or motor home, but place these things in an old parking lot or the like and provide them with bathroom and laundry services. This would likely be less of a burden on the taxpayer.

They need to be somewhere and so we should give them a place to live where they can live as they please out of the way of the industrial and commercial engines that will pay for their water and power.

Much as I understand that there will be no easy solutions to this problem I recognize that we need to give these people the stability to vote and pay taxes. We want them to participate in our society rather than live on the fringe.

Give it a thought,



Richard Leland Neal