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The biggest contributor to homelessness is unaffordable housing. The best solution for homelessness is... giving people housing. It is a remarkably simple cause
by jmyeet 2y ago
The biggest contributor to homelessness is unaffordable housing. The best solution for homelessness is... giving people housing. It is a remarkably simple cause-and-effect.
Yet, that's now what we do. Many people view homelessness as some kind of personal moral failure. when, in the US in particular, you'll be surprised how close most Americans are to homelessness. It takes surprisingly little to go wrong to end up there.
We would rather spend money on things like policing homeless people, even incarcerating them, which is objectively more expensive than simply housing such people.
- nickff 2y agoHave you ever been to a housing project focused on “giving people housing”? The outcomes aren’t quite as good as you seem to imply. Rampant drug dealing, abuse, overdoses, and violent crime including (but not limited to) sexual assault and robbery. The properties often end up destroyed after only a year or two of being used for this purpose.
- he0001 2y agoSo what’s your suggestion to help these people? Or we should just lock them away?
- DecoySalamander 2y agoInstitutionalizing people with severe drug abuse and mental health issues would be a major improvement. Unfortunately it isn't politically feasible.
- throwaway7ahgb 2y agoAlso keeping crime down in government housing so families can feel safe.
- he0001 2y agoAre those the reason for all crimes done? And why isn’t this politically feasible? There has to be a solution?
- dfadsadsf 2y agoBiggest manifestations of unaffordable housing are people commuting 2h one way and/or living 2-6 people per room dorm style. Homeless problem (exotic poor) is completely different and mostly unconnected to housing affordability problem. You can’t house drug addict or mental regardless of housing prices. They will just destroy it. Locking them up is the only solution.
- throwaway7ahgb 2y agoYou write this as if there is one type of homeless and all we need to do is give homes. It is not this easy, sorry but you're wrong. It has been tried before and doesn't work long term in local areas. The situation is much more complex than a 3 paragraph solution.