NYPD did this for 5 years. 95% of homeless people offered help declined (mostly because of shelter rules). Half the vans of the homeless outreach unit were recently burnt/destroyed in protests. The unit was disbanded July 17.
What do you do when the homeless person says "no, thanks", as most do? As NYC homeless services budget doubled to $3 billion (not counting NYPD homeless outreach), calls to NYPD for homeless quality-of-life issues also doubled.
These policy issues matter. These are real people being affected. And idealism is not helping them.
The main reason homeless people in New York City declined shelter services was not shelter safety, as many people believe, but shelter rules.
