A new policy, one that will treat homeless people with more dignity and respect, is being considered by elected officials from the City and County of Fresno. These changes, if they are approved, are expected to include converting unused buildings in the downtown area into decent and affordable housing for the homeless. This new policy would be a significant and strategic shift from previous policies that included bulldozing homeless encampments, passing quality of life ordinances, and forcing people into unheated tool sheds. Advocates of this new policy say that providing affordable and decent housing to the homeless is a part of a national trend that is making the social service/shelter model (like the Rescue Mission and Poverello House) obsolete.

There are powerful economic interests and harsh realities driving this change of policy. By every objective measurement, the policy that the City of Fresno pursued was a failure. The police and other city agencies were simply not able to eliminate the homeless in Fresno by harassing them, making their lives so miserable that they left town, got off the streets, or died. It was not for a lack of trying that these draconian policies against the homeless failed. In the end, the result has been increased homelessness and a more visible homeless population than when these policies began.

The City of Fresno's policy of bulldozing homeless encampments led to a lawsuit that forced the city to stop taking and immediately destroying homeless peoples property. It got so bad, that in November 2006, the city had to be reminded by a federal judge to uphold the constitution of the United States. A trial in that case is expected to begin next summer. The city has also received nationwide attention critical of its ruthless policies against the homeless.

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