Washington D.C. Homeless Shelters Ordered To Remain Open During Inauguration (VIDEO)

WATCH: Did D.C. Hide Its Homeless During Inauguration?

Homeless shelters in Washington D.C. are normally closed during the daytime. But last week, the city ordered shelters to keep their doors open over inauguration weekend.

Was the city trying to hide the nearly 7,000 homeless individuals who live on its streets?

Scott Keyes, a reporter for ThinkProgress, investigated the order and told HuffPost Live Tuesday that the only other time D.C.'s shelters remain open during the day are when the homeless are at risk of hypothermia. Keyes said the city's effort is being viewed as a noble one by some, since the city's streets were packed with approximately 800,000 people on Sunday and Monday. But at a time when homeless services are being cut in Washington D.C., Keyes said the move calls into question what happens when the cameras aren't looking.

"We've got a $140 million budget surplus right now in the city and yet the services for the neediest among us are being cut," Keyes told HuffPost Live. "It's really important that we help folks, that we create a strong social safety net and help people who are down on their luck in times of need, rather than doing these very kind of stop-gap measures where we're window dressing and pretending as though there aren't folks in need in the city."

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