More homeless people ditching shelters for camp sites amid COVID-19 pandemic
As the COVID-19 pandemic shows no signs of slowing and summer settles in, more homeless people are sleeping outside in tents, often in small clusters usually on public property, advocates and city officials say.
There are many reasons for the increase, but the main one seems to be fear of the new coronavirus in shelter settings, said Ben Jackson, an outreach worker for nonprofit Porchlight who works with many homeless living outside.
“I’ve got people coming out of shelter asking me for tents,” he said.
At the dawn of the pandemic, Jimmy White opted for a tent over shelter. “I love it out here,” he said, referring to the campsite he shares with others off a trail in a city park. “I love being outdoors. We’re trying to make it a home. The homeless community is pretty small. Everybody pretty much knows everybody. This is the safer way to quarantine if you really think about it.”
Read more: https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/more-homeless-people-ditching-shelters-for-camp-sites-amid-covid-19-pandemic/article_6e279014-6560-514c-bc8e-05292337cfcd.html