Sanctioned tent encampments have become a key part of San Francisco’s homelessness response — and a lightning rod for debate among activists, politicians and homeless people.

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An Answer to Living on the Street?

Confronted by the high cost and slow progress of building housing for homeless people, cities including Seattle, Sacramento and San Francisco have turned to sanctioned tent encampments as a solution. They offer services such as toilets, meals and help finding a permanent place to stay.

These efforts, once anathema among some homeless service providers, are becoming more widely accepted as unsheltered homelessness has grown and government officials deal with a pandemic that has made placing people in large shelters dangerous.

The Times spoke with more than two dozen people who either have stayed or currently stay in these sites. Many wished for a room in a hotel or an apartment to call their own. Still, a majority said that they appreciate these lots, some of which will eventually have supportive housing built on them.

In Los Angeles, public anger about large unsanctioned encampments has also led politicians to seek out immediate solutions. One sanctioned encampment on the West L.A. campus of the Department of Veterans Affairs opened last summer. Another site opened recently on a parking lot in East Hollywood after the closure of Echo Park Lake and removal of homeless people there. More could follow.