I think there should be better social services and shelter accessibility for homeless people. But let’s not pretend that we can always tell who an intruder is by how they look. There is no universal ‘look’ to them because they aren’t cartoon characters. Intruder and robbers could easily pretend to be a homeless person and prey on unsuspecting people like you.

I think it’s true that a lot of people call the police because they are racist or just hate homeless people. But let’s not treat this like a black and white issue and dismiss the legitimate concerns of safety that some people have. I’ve lived in my fair share of shitty neighborhoods and was broken in twice before. I have also called the police on someone who was yelling at me while I pulled up at home with my bike. Maybe they were only homeless or were mentally ill and wasn’t a threat, but I’m choosing between being rude to this person and potentially being robbed, raped or killed. Most people, especially women and elderly, don’t have the luxury to not call the police.

Yes, the system is fucked up. But don’t blame everyone people at home for trying to keep themselves safe, blame the NIMBYs, the lack of social safety nets, the regressive social policies that target homeless people, the lack of fucks given by politicians, and the fucked up medical system that puts people one hospital visit away from homelessness. It’s fucked up, but that doesn’t it make it less fucked up for victims of break ins and assault.