Many cities are weaponizing zoning laws and punishing poverty, exacerbating homelessness rather than alleviating it.
On August 5, 2023, advocates for people experiencing homelessness in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, scored an upset victory. They opened a 20-bed shelter for short-term guests in a donated building that once belonged to a dentist and his wife. The private facility fills a gap that the town ignored for years, despite a prolonged housing crisis that continues to push people onto the streets.
