Have you ever wondered why most benches have arm rests now? Or why there are spikes in the concrete in front of business doors? They are silent tools to push out the homeless.
Defensive or hostile architecture is a cities solution to keep the homeless population out, a really insidious and quiet way to slowly remove the population or to at least make them constantly uncomfortable. If you've ever sat at a bus stop, maybe you're there for 15 or 30 minutes and you might not be think about your arms resting on the dividers. Now imagine being someone who is home/houseless in -5 degree weather, the middle of winter, icy rain slushing on top of you, tired from walking for miles trying to find rest, and you see a roofed bus stop to sleep under, thank G-d! You can't sleep there though. How are you supposed to lay on those arm rests? You can't, so you either keep walking or lay on the wet ground and risk death.
Some cities get very clever with their designs making them almost completely on noticeable or try to make art out of discrimination.
When I was younger, I rarely slept on the actual sidewalk or business entrances. Not only because I was scared to get beaten or killed by the police, but sleeping on a public street when your home/houseless is one of the most uncomfortable environments you could ever imagine to be in. If you're lucky, you might be able to find a smooth space on the sidewalk under a building canopy or a businesses front door that doesn't have spikes or large bumps. In general, it is very rare to be able to find any safe place in shelter from the weather on the physical street.
A man named Reggie Glenn in Kansas City, KS froze to death behind someone's house, where his friend had found him. One of my own friends died next to a river from exposure and freezing. I know, not only that it can happen to those who are close to us, but also how common it is for home/houseless people to die from exposure whether it be hypothermia, hyperthermia, dehydration or exhaustion. This is not an uncommon occurrence for homeless people to die like this, and the solution for this is not taking out some of the only places where they can have actual roof over them. Not have to sleep next to freezing lakes and rivers, or in freezing slush on the sidewalk, the least a city can give is a bus stop roof, or a place to sit when they've had a hard day.
https://www.kshb.com/news/local-news/homeless-man-finds-friend-frozen-to-death-on-new-year-s-day
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