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Philadelphia keeps clearing homeless encampments. But who is being helped?

The city says it clears encampments using a national model. Critics describe “squeezing a balloon” — moving people around without addressing root causes.

The encampment on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway on Aug. 20. While some say closing encampments is just necessary to protecting public space and preserving order, critics describe it as “squeezing a balloon” — moving people from one location to another, without addressing underlying causes.
The encampment on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway on Aug. 20. While some say closing encampments is just necessary to protecting public space and preserving order, critics describe it as “squeezing a balloon” — moving people from one location to another, without addressing underlying causes.Read moreCHARLES FOX / Staff Photographer