> homelessness is primarily driven by high rents It stands up both to intellectual review and research studies. It’s a very clear idea that higher rents are ha

> homelessness is primarily driven by high rents It stands up both to intellectual review and research studies. It’s a very clear idea that higher rents are harder to pay for, so it’s more likely you can’t pay. It’s conceptually sound AND backed by research. > Especially visible homelessness In many parts of the country visible homelessness is a small fraction of the total homelessness. For example, historically Boston had 5% of the homeless population on the street. Homelessness doesn’t look like what people see. For every homeless person laying on the sidewalk having a health crisis there are 10-20 more people in homeless shelters or cars. This is where the homeless families are. If you have bad luck (eg medical expenses, car crash etc) and suddenly can’t afford rent, high rents make it hard to get enough money to bridge that gap. This is a real risk for low-income workers - one surprise bill could easily deplete savings and risk not paying rent. If you’re just irresponsible or handicapped and can’t work full time (eg mental health issues, physical health issues) and have trouble maintaining income and savings, then expensive rent makes it more likely you won’t earn enough any given month. Hell, if you’re a drug addict and barely able to hold a job and always looking for your fix, high rent makes it harder to find a slummy house to get out of the rain. You can find PLENTY of data on homelessness from your city’s homeless Census which they do every year. It’s a rigorous process and it’s done in a controlled manner in every major city in America.