3 ms·
The worst thing about this is it is extremely unlikely to help with homelessness, but it will almost certainly earn big bucks for lawyers involved in the homele
by m0llusk 4y ago
The worst thing about this is it is extremely unlikely to help with homelessness, but it will almost certainly earn big bucks for lawyers involved in the homeless industrial complex. The level of perverse corruption here is phenomenal.
- azinman2 4y ago> homeless industrial complex First time I’m hearing of such a complex that sounds oxymoronic. How big is this complex? Who are the players? How do they make so much money to become a complex industry?
- bombcar 4y agoApparently there was a decent amount of money being spent in Houston I think it was, that wasn't effectively housing hardly anyone until all the agencies got together and started working together. There was an HN post on it.
- lotsofpulp 4y agoSee motel owners getting paid $100k and even $250k+ per key by the government: https://mynorthwest.com/2744155/seattles-two-new-hotel-homeless-shelters-are-now-officially-opened/ https://mynorthwest.com/2744155/seattles-two-new-hotel-homel... The motels would be worth nowhere near that much if sold as a motel, and it is happening all up and down west coast cities. I know one property that sold for $150k per key, which would have sold for half that to a non government buyer, and the kicker is that it sits empty except for housing 2 guests that were already living there when the government bought it in summer 2021.
- azinman2 4y agoI’m not suggesting there aren’t people who profit in some way from the money spent on services for the homeless. But calling it an industrial complex elevates it. The motels are not a single uniform entity intertwined with the government to extract profits this way while trying to undermine the mission of public policy in order to make even more money. I’m not an economist but I’m certain there is a high bar to become an industrial complex.