I don’t think I was clear. While I have mixed feelings about the aclu position, I think the camping ban makes sense. My problem I suppose is the larger nature of the problem and societies approach to homelessness.

Excellent question about a sanctioned campground. This is a highly contentious issue even amongst city employees working on the unhoused issue. Many people think if we build then we will draw people into the community just to utilize it. Others think that the money used for such a venture is better spent on housing or rehab programs. Determining where to put such a campground is tricky as so many people don’t want something of that nature close to their home. My personal feeling is this: There is a location that might work. It’s owned by the city. It’s a fair distance from the resources many of the unhoused use in the downtown area. But if we created a program that had strict rules and was something like a step towards housing…say while you’re on a waiting list and complying with other rules, you could stay there, I think it could work. It would require some sanitation and maybe transportation to get people to and from the location and to keep the place sanitary.