Humanely Mitigating the Impact of Homelessness on Retail Stores By Lauren Fritsky
Hfor reasons ranging from a lack of affordable housing Followtheflow / shutterstock.com
omelessness in the US has risen by 6 percent since 2017
to record inflation. Major cities like New York and Los Angeles—which, combined, account for about a quarter of the country’s homeless population—have declared record levels of homelessness. Large retailers in hard-hit cities like San Francisco are closing shops due to the sharp rise in homeless individuals hanging out around their stores. The presence of homeless individuals in retail areas can contribute to several adverse outcomes, including driving away customers, loss of revenue, and, increasingly, crime.
