San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan is changing his tune when it comes to arresting homeless people who refuse shelter.

Mahan held a news conference Wednesday to talk about how he is redefining his “Responsibility to Shelter” initiative. When it first rolled out in March, Mahan said those who refuse shelter three times within an 18-month period would be subject to a trespassing violation and an arrest, with the goal of connecting individuals to treatment. Mahan has since revised his position, saying each person’s situation should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. But homeless people could be charged for other reasons when refusing shelter.

“At some point, we have to acknowledge that a small subset of folks on our streets simply are unable or unwilling to accept and benefit from what the city c

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