_exobin_

I'm all for humanization, and some people can really be cruel. But I also think it is important to point out that 55% of the homeless population in SF has been homeless for a decade or more, and are not just "people who are currently homeless."

And at some point we have to accept imprecise language in service of useful abstraction (which is all language is).

Really there is a small but seriously problematic population of people in need of a high level of mental health care who I would guess are the primary perpetrators of public defecation + urination (schizophrenia, addiction/intoxication, etc.). The 1,320 homeless people needing the most aid required $106 million in emergency medical and mental health services in 2015. Putting this money to work institutionalizing these chronic cases seems like a sensible and responsible thing to do – and it isn't hard to pick these individuals out. Staff at the General know all the regulars.