4 ms·

Probably not. Most homelessness is due to either mental illness and substance abuse or due to a shortage of affordable housing in places where jobs are availabl

Probably not. Most homelessness is due to either mental illness and substance abuse or due to a shortage of affordable housing in places where jobs are available - typically dense cities where the only way to add housing within reasonable commute distance of the jobs is to build upwards, not building inexpensive 1-story buildings on vacant land. Furthermore, both types of homeless tend to congregate in places where there's a density of social services available because they rely on those services for food, clothing, health care, or assistance seeking employment, in addition to shelter. Those areas tend not to be within walking distance (for the vast majority who also lack cars) of anywhere that has space to build dozens or hundreds of these tiny houses. There are plenty of places in this country that have a ton of vacant housing stock, and even some of those have a homelessness problem (see also: Detroit). The problems underlying homelessness are far more complicated than the size of the houses we build.

angdis 12y ago
Agreed that homelessness has complex underlying issues, but homelessness can ALSO be a temporary condition triggered by any number of problems (loss of a job, insurmountable debt, etc). The people are still technically "homeless" though rarely classified as such. Anything that provides more options for housing will help people who are homeless or on the verge of becoming homeless.
- cauterized 12y ago
  But moving them to the area 3 hours drive away from the city where there's actually space to build some of these things doesn't help them deal with joblessness (or needing a second job to pay down debt, when you lose 6 hours/day to your commute) since employment is generally easier to find in a city. In most of these cases, what's needed is not to expand low-density areas with marginally higher density, but to increase density in higher density areas so that housing there becomes affordable, or to offer temporary free/subsidized housing in those high-density areas until people are back on their feet.
  - WalterSear 12y ago
    Which is essentially the underlying plot of City of God. And which was based on a true story in the Brazilian favelas. It's just hipster hubris. If someone suggested building apartment blocks with the same square footage as those twee little houses, they would be accused of trying to warehouse the homeless, but it's actually a much better idea.
    - adekok 12y ago
      Don't underestimate the power of green space. Having small homes in the middle of lawn, trees, and plants is much better than having small apartments in a dense apartment building. There's still the problem of services / jobs, of course. But that's a bit separate.
      - normloman 12y ago
        What preserves greenspace more: 1000 people living in a tower block, or 1000 people, each with their own homes and lawns, sprawling across an entire suburban neighborhood? Of course, it's not as simple as that. Greenspace is important, which is why cities have parks.
      - nilkn 12y ago
        A lot of suburban neighborhoods are surprisingly not actually all that green: small yards, no trees (because they were all bulldozed and the residents, having exhausted themselves to buy the McMansion, can't really afford to re-do the landscaping from scratch), small backyards, houses crammed next to each other. And don't forget the very large paved roads to accommodate lines of parked vehicles on the side of the road (because naturally once you have a garage you just hoard crap in it and then park your three cars on the street) and all the armored tank SUVs passing between them.
      - WalterSear 12y ago
        I recommend you check out City of God to see what happens when people are housed away from economic centers - a necessity for suburban lawns, trees and plants. Moreover, these things take time to care for, and money - something that is missing, or we wouldn't be having this conversation. It's ridiculous to suggest that services/jobs don't hinge on high population densities and efficient use of space.

angdis 12y ago

Agreed that homelessness has complex underlying issues, but homelessness can ALSO be a temporary condition triggered by any number of problems (loss of a job, insurmountable debt, etc). The people are still technically "homeless" though rarely classified as such. Anything that provides more options for housing will help people who are homeless or on the verge of becoming homeless.

cauterized 12y ago
But moving them to the area 3 hours drive away from the city where there's actually space to build some of these things doesn't help them deal with joblessness (or needing a second job to pay down debt, when you lose 6 hours/day to your commute) since employment is generally easier to find in a city. In most of these cases, what's needed is not to expand low-density areas with marginally higher density, but to increase density in higher density areas so that housing there becomes affordable, or to offer temporary free/subsidized housing in those high-density areas until people are back on their feet.
- WalterSear 12y ago
  Which is essentially the underlying plot of City of God. And which was based on a true story in the Brazilian favelas. It's just hipster hubris. If someone suggested building apartment blocks with the same square footage as those twee little houses, they would be accused of trying to warehouse the homeless, but it's actually a much better idea.
  - adekok 12y ago
    Don't underestimate the power of green space. Having small homes in the middle of lawn, trees, and plants is much better than having small apartments in a dense apartment building. There's still the problem of services / jobs, of course. But that's a bit separate.
    - normloman 12y ago
      What preserves greenspace more: 1000 people living in a tower block, or 1000 people, each with their own homes and lawns, sprawling across an entire suburban neighborhood? Of course, it's not as simple as that. Greenspace is important, which is why cities have parks.
    - nilkn 12y ago
      A lot of suburban neighborhoods are surprisingly not actually all that green: small yards, no trees (because they were all bulldozed and the residents, having exhausted themselves to buy the McMansion, can't really afford to re-do the landscaping from scratch), small backyards, houses crammed next to each other. And don't forget the very large paved roads to accommodate lines of parked vehicles on the side of the road (because naturally once you have a garage you just hoard crap in it and then park your three cars on the street) and all the armored tank SUVs passing between them.
    - WalterSear 12y ago
      I recommend you check out City of God to see what happens when people are housed away from economic centers - a necessity for suburban lawns, trees and plants. Moreover, these things take time to care for, and money - something that is missing, or we wouldn't be having this conversation. It's ridiculous to suggest that services/jobs don't hinge on high population densities and efficient use of space.