The temptation is strong to give money and other resources to people on the street.

“I understand in a lot of situations, we feel like when we have more and someone has none, by giving what we have immediately to them, that we are helping,” said Ethan Posey, Springfield’s director of community relations. “Unfortunately, in a lot of these situations, we are enabling members of our unhoused community to continue the behaviors they are exhibiting that people are complaining about.

“I would ask us to rethink our perspective on what is ‘helping’ and giving aid from a short-term view to a long-term view.”

In other words, Posey said, “Give a man a fish, and he east for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he eats for a lifetime.”

Posey said homeless people should not be living in the street; they should be directed to Heartland Housed, Helping Hands, or other resources.