Homeless Las Vegas

Like any city Las Vegas has a number of homeless. Quite a large number in fact. It is a sad and dangerous situation that people, for various reasons, find themselves having to live on the street. There is safety in numbers so little camps of tents and make do shelter come and go here and there. Now we do have some shelters but they are too few and poorly supported. Also there are rules that someone can only stay so long. Gota make room for someone else.
There was, until today a "soup kitchen". The Las Vegas Rescue mission had to close it's doors This little place was the only outfit serving free meals to poor and homeless people in all of this wealthy city. It only could feed 250 a day but that was enough to cause a problem. Ya see it is only natural to stay near the food and so street camping behind the location got up to about 100. The problem is basic. Garbage feces and urine on the streets and sidewalks so health services get involved. They tried with meager funding to fine other housing for some, and then the transportation dept moved through and cleaned the streets. Of course the camp just shifted location.
Now the city and the mission had an agreement to work together cleaning the streets but the city stopped in Jan. And the mission stopped in Feb. Because the city had stopped. Agreement ended. It seems the cost was about 40 k a year to keep it up and the $ not there. Bottom line. The free food is gone.
There is no denying that people should not be fouling areas where other people have property and housing. And, it is a shame that Vegas, as well as other cities, don't have massive programs to help the severely needy rejoin the mainstream population.
But for now, a few porta-pottys and dumpsters might be cost effective?
Adaven