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I'm surprised that would work. In my experiences many people don't give a crap and will trash something that is just handed to them. The fact that they don't need to be free of drugs and alcohol and this idea still works is amazing.
I wonder how this idea would work in the Northeast where housing is more expensive? Running a house isn't cheap and $200 a month doesn't go far. Still it is nice to see it working in Utah.
Interesting, I was in SLC on business late Feb. 2014 and I would walk from The Grand America to work (10 or 15 blocks) and I ran into a number of homeless folks. Also met a couple at the UTA TRAX depots, and a couple outside the restaurant mall area.
I believe Philly did this and Denver tried to get it passed until the real cost came out 100k per year per homeless person after you factor in
1. Social services and the case workers to support it
2. Police and fire, there will be fights and fires with some because of substance abuse/mental health
You can do one better in Portland. You can get a place for free with no strings attached. Want to do meth and coke and drink and run a prostitution ring right out of your own state owned taxpayer funded home? No problem!
Jan 2012 article. Woo hoo a great success. "Thousands helped", "lives saved", "thousand of dollars saved", "project of the year", "a national model."
Doubt that works where heavy drug use is a problem. Fights and worse start shortly thereafter.
At least in theory if a formerly homeless person is housed, it's easier to keep track of them and provide treatment. If you read the article posted with this, that's the whole idea. It's much less expensive -in SLC at least, to- simply provide them simple residence rather than have them remain homeless. The costs often associated with homeless persons -criminal justice, emergency care, etc.- are significantly higher than the modest cost of housing them.
This approach probably wouldn't work so well everywhere, but it's nice to see a city at least attempting and alternative approach.
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