Comment by viraptor
7 months ago
Homelessness creates society issues regardless of citizenship. Also, obtaining any reliable ID for many homeless is a non-trivial and costly task on its own. It seems like you're interested in something more limited than simply helping with the homelessness issue.
It's simply that if any assistance will be given to foreigners - they will flock from entire world just like they flocked from entire US to SF when they started giving out cash. Police can of course check anyone's identity. Foreigners won't be trying to claim anything because they know they'd be deported or isolated if there is no clear country to deport them into.
> they will flock from entire world
Flock from the entire world just to use homeless benefits in the US that barely sustains people? Outside of a refuge situation... citation needed.
> Police can of course check anyone's identity.
You get a person without any documents, no long term contacts in the state/area, with a common name/surname, not remembering any official address they lived at.
How exactly do you think they'll be identified? And how much time money do you think it's worth to get a precise answer in that case?
It is in the interest of the person to identify themselves and provide proof that they are a citizen. Otherwise they are held until their nationality is identified for deportation. Need large scale facilities where unlimited number of such persons can be indefinitely, and profitably, held, so they are had to do work of some sort (patching roads for example, doing earthworks, etc.).
People become bums because they can. There has to be no practical way to remain a bum.