Parking Lot For Homeless In Vegas

ARTICLE: https://time.com/5813449/las-vegas-parking-lots-homeless/

Las Vegas is putting homeless in parking lots to limit the spread of the virus. There is outrage because of the empty hotels and its prompted public figures to speak out. 

From the TIME article piece

"Former Obama administration housing chief Julian Castro suggested in a post on Twitter that the city’s homeless should be temporarily placed in empty hotel rooms."

"Added actress Alyssa Milano in a tweet: “In Las Vegas, homeless people are sleeping on concrete floor of a parking lot —six feet apart—while all the hotel rooms are empty.”"

City Officials defended the move from the time article:

"City officials said they decided to temporarily place the homeless in a parking lot of a multi-use facility rather than inside buildings that include a stadium, a theater, exhibit space and meeting rooms, because officials planned to reserve them for potential hospital overflow space if needed." "City spokesman Jace Radke said Tuesday that the open-air shelter was an “emergency situation” and the lot was chosen because the city already owned the property."

my opinion: City officials didn't want to pay unnecessary money to house the homeless during this crisis nor did the want to pay for any damages that would occur remember many homeless are addicts and possibly have a mental illness. The hotel operators would not want the homeless to occupy because that would require more labor and expenses to a business that is not making money. This would be a lose lose for the hotel because I don't believe Las Vegas has the funds to foot the bill for all the expenses it would take to house the homeless in the hotels. Another reality is the hotel is looking out for they're assets more than the people this is why if the virus gets worse you will see a push back from the hotel operators at first asking for a monetary gain to house virus patients. The homeless is unfortunately viewed as a scourge and this is a city problem. Do I agree with the homeless being put in a parking lot? No I don't I think it dehumanizes them but the city has no choice I feel they cannot afford this virus spreading around. Its a shame there isn't a hotel being marked for demolition.