They look and sound like you and me

Homelessness isn’t much of a problem in the little town where I live.

We offer few services to the passing-through poor and don’t have a shelter. Although we’re surrounded by thousands of acres of public land, it’s too isolated, too wild up here for a homeless camping crowd that thrives on panhandling and free cheese.

Bozeman’s recently completed homeless shelter immediately began attracting a crowd and all 40 beds quickly filled. Not too many years ago there, the homeless, who were then referred to as vagrants, were typically given bus tickets to either Butte or Billings, and sent on their wa...