At 5am on a bench outside the Good News Rescue Mission as part of a national event – Conversations on a Bench, Jonathan and I tackled the tough questions I and many in the community ask about homelessness, including:

1) Is the Mission a low barrier shelter? What barriers do exist to staying there?

2) Are homeless people being bussed in from out of town?

3) How should we approach encampments – zero tolerance, leniency, periodic enforcement, or something else?

4) Does Shasta County’s services for the homeless attract people from out of town? Should we cut services to avoid attracting out-of-towners?

Jonathan answers these questions with candor and compassion, building off the experience of serving 18,000 people over the years.

Once you’ve listened, let me know what you think!