To Tent or Not to Tent?

Photo courtesy "Pinprick" @ Flickr

This post is not Midlands-focused but does raise questions about the intersection of property rights and homelessness. About 30 miles from my hometown, a proposal was floated to privately purchase land specifically for the use of homeless adults. The area would be set up as a campground for those in need to use while unhoused. As is often the case with NIMBY (not in my backyard) projects, there is a great deal of resistance with setting up a permanent space for those experiencing homelessness to utilize.

This raises interesting questions for me, such as:

What role should the government play in providing arbitration between the desires of property-owners and their neighbors?

Is this a viable model for non-metropolitan areas to meet the needs of their unhoused population without constructing a permanent (and often expensive) emergency shelter or transitional facility?

Plan For Homeless Tent City In Public Park Nixed - WESH Orlando