@Bozo_Casanova I'm a firm believer (drawn from my own anecodotal experience working with these folks) that criminalizing homeless related behavior like camping, institutionalizes those experiencing it. It marks them taking away opportunities, it further dissolves their communal bonds except with those also experiencing homelessness, and creates a reinforcing spiral. All of that exacerbates the symptoms that we all associate with homelessness like alcohol/drug abuse, unchecked mental illness, and loss of social boundaries.
People want and need security. Period. Full Stop. People posting on Surlyhorns, people experiencing homelessness, we all need it. Camps spring up where ever some measure of it can be found, sometimes that is in the woods, sometimes it's by a highway when you're in that situation you're taking what presents itself. We think that CFV is a full expression of that search for security, but there are also public works level opportunities to offer intermediate levels of security to those still on the street. Public Restrooms and Showers would be a good start, water is THE essential human need. Next level would be night use only tent shelter structures with storage options and maybe Solar collected powercells all together in little micro KOA style pods spread throughout the city. We could bolster support to mobile resource teams like HOST to connect people there to transition opportunities. Maintaining spaces like that could be provided by groups that source work from that population like TOOF.
Obviously I'm ultimately in favor of the CFV model since I've spent the last 6 years on helping realize and manage it. We're growing our footprint to 500 homes with eyes on more (our 10 year plan started in 2017 has an end goal of 1000 - 1200 housed) , but I think there should also be a dozen different organizations running a dozen different CFVs serving all varieties of people in need in ways their best at. We focus on the chronically homeless, which is where we think we're the best at, but not everybody in need fits that or wants what we are offering.