Not to throw a wrench in the discussion with even more anecdotes about cruel treatment of the homeless but when I was homeless it was common knowledge that some counties in Georgia take their homeless to Clarke County. And I was threatened with being taken to the county line and dropped off in South Georgia. Not so much threatened as the police were discussing it as an option over the radio while they were deciding what to do with an outsider who some random rehab had dumped in a town where "we don't have homeless people." And there aren't a lot of homeless people in parts of the Atlanta Metro that are close to Clarke County. And yes, Clarke County, Georgia beats any number of jails. If you don't mind shelter uncertainty. At least there are shelters. There aren't in a great many places. Like all of the county I lived in with my parents. But jail is guaranteed shelter. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Whatcha gon do? Build infrastructure for the indigent? Sounds like some pinko shit to me.
Anecdotes have their place. They illustrate an issue in ways that numbers can't. One of the frustrating things about being arrested for pretty much anything while being homeless is that it makes the situation that much more difficult for homeless individuals. Having a criminal record, even with misdemeanors, affects their ability to find work, shelter, etc. It's definitely an area of the issue that could use more attention and improvement.