Are homeless advocates doing more harm than good in their quest to end homelessness?

JEFFERY MCNEIL

It breaks my heart to watch the park police remove tents from McPherson Square and to see the hard work of homeless advocates go overlooked. They work quietly behind the scenes searching for housing for the homeless and helping people struggling with addiction, transitioning from prison, and other difficulties.

Sadly, very few people know about So Others Might Eat, Miriam’s Kitchen and Bread for the City. I, for one, don’t know where many homeless people would be today without Street Sense. There needs to be more media coverage of organizations that have a proven track record of helping people find houses, health care, and assistance to move off the streets.

However, even as many nonprofits do great work in this space, there are others who exploit homeless people. There is a homeless aristocracy comprised of people in powerful positions who ignore, alibi and protect bad actors among us. They don’t want to acknowledge that not all homeless people are victims. Some people are homeless for complex reasons this aristocracy doesn’t want to hear or address.