TUPELO, Miss. (AP, abc24.com) - An encampment set up by homeless people in a Tupelo, Miss. business district has been destroyed. City officials say recent crimes and complaints prompted the action.
About 15 homeless people lived in the area. Advocates of the homeless say bulldozing the site and dispersing its residents can only make their underlying problems more difficult to address.
Tupelo's homeless population is served by the Salvation Army, which offers meals, shelter, clothing and medical treatment. But the Salvation Army does not allow those using drugs or alcohol to stay at the shelter for safety reasons. They say many of those who lived at the encampment would not follow the rules.
Advocates say Mississippi needs a shelter to accommodate actively using addicts.
