A growing number of homeless encampments across the U.S. are forming on private property as local shelter investments fail to stem the tide.
For several residents, the encampments are another reminder that people live outside because there is nowhere else for them to go. Other residents have told their local officials that the encampments are a public safety concern. In both cases, the encampments have become a symbol that cities need to increase funding for shelters as the number of people experiencing homelessness and housing instability continues to increase.
“It’s Whack-a-Mole. You can’t just ask them to leave; they’re going to go somewhere else,” Robin Bach, a mother in Concord, New Hampshire, who has seen a small encampment form in her backyard, told the Concord Monitor. “You have to give them someplace to go.”
Shelter investments are often the tip of the iceberg for many cities looking to reduce their homeless populations. According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, this can include any facility whose primary purpose is to “provide temporary or transitional shelter” for homeless people and specific subpopulations.
Data from HUD’s latest Housing Inventory Count shows that the total number of shelter beds has increased by roughly 22% since 2019, before the pandemic began. That’s an increase of more than 60,000 beds overall. However, the number of people experiencing homelessness increased by roughly 13% over the same period, accounting for more than 85,000 people in all, HUD data shows.
Shelter Capacity vs. Homelessness
The problem has become pronounced in cities like Concord, New Hampshire, which local reports suggest has about 450 people experiencing homelessness in its jurisdiction. Bach told the Concord Monitor that she has called the police more than 30 times to remove the encampment in her yard. She said each time they do, the camp returns within a couple of days.
This is happening at a time when Concord is working to reduce its unsheltered population by 25% by July 2025, the New Hampshire Business Review reported. However, Concord officials and Merrimack County officials seem to disagree over whose responsibility it is to fund shelters.
“The City of Concord is not responsible for a county-wide reduction in homelessness,” Concord Mayor Byron Champlin told the New Hampshire Business Review. “We’re happy to partner with it, but really, if it’s a county problem, county government needs to be deeply involved in finding a solution.”
Earlier this year, residents in Sacramento, California, also witnessed an encampment form on a vacant lot. This happened even though shelter capacity in Sacramento County increased from 904 year-round beds in 2019 to 2026 beds in 2023, a roughly 1,100-bed increase, HUD data shows. But overall homelessness in the area increased by more than 3,700 people over the same time span.
People who lived in the Sacramento camp told local news station ABC10 that they had been living on the streets for a while as they sought help from local shelters and charities.
“I actively tried for five years to get off the street. Actively. Like, every day calling people, emailing people – the nonprofits, charities, you know, anybody I could,” Jessamy Cartwright told the news station. “Pleading for help. You’ve got to stick with it and just keep trying, and eventually, something will happen.”
Alternative Solutions to Shelter Investments
One way cities can help address homelessness outside of funding shelters is to incentivize subsidized housing developments. However, Invisible People recently reported that many projects face delays due to local zoning laws or political issues.
Some places, like Denver, Colorado, and Flint, Michigan, are investing in so-called tiny homes that help homeless people. These homes are roughly 100 sq. ft. and are made from composite panels connected to aluminum frames. The units often have their own air conditioning and heating.
Advocates like Paul Boden of the Western Regional Advocacy Project are wary of these tiny homes being considered a long-term solution to homelessness. Boden worries they could be used to pave the way for increased criminalization.
“Are tiny homes better than a sharp stick in the eye? It sure is, especially to the person who gets to live there,” Boden said. “But are tiny homes a solution to homelessness? The answer is hell no.”
How You Can Help
The pandemic proved that we need to rethink housing in the United States. It also showed that aid programs work when agencies and service organizations are provided with sufficient funds and clear guidance on spending aid dollars.
Contact your officials and representatives. Tell them you support keeping many of the pandemic-related aid programs in place for future use. They have proven effective at keeping people housed, which is the first step to ending homelessness.
