Nice as it is, Mayor Tory’s plan to rent hotel rooms for the homeless does not seem to address the gulf between the homeless and the rest of us. The homeless want to do whatever they want. Freedom of movement and personal choice is a dilemma faced by our kind-hearted society. It is the great un-addressed factor in making sure the homeless really do get inside. Any honest understanding of how people behave tells us that, yes, more space may help, but it is unlikely to eliminate death from exposure in the winter. In another world, the homeless might report to a “survival officer” every morning. But no one wants survival officers, effective as they might be, checking on them all the time. The Constitution no doubt forbids it. But remember, this is about how to stop anyone from freezing to death.
