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This program started in Utah. I am SO glad that it started in Utah because Utah is the most conservative state in the country. If Utah can figure it out that housing the homeless costs less than incarcerating and hospitalizing them, maybe the rest of the country can, too. Wyoming and Idaho are also adopting Utah's "Housing First" program.
I seriously hope this catches on. We have so many vacant buildings already. We probably have five vacant buildings for every homeless person. This is a no-brainer, slam-dunk, let's save some money program.
But people won't like it because it "rewards bad choices." It won't fit with their worldview that the good prosper and the evil suffer. But it's not about rewarding bad choices. It's about not throwing good money after bad. It is stupid for our country to imprison people for vagrancy. We get to be a more compassionate society. And we save money doing it. Win-win.
But people won't like it because it "rewards bad choices." It won't fit with their worldview that the good prosper and the evil suffer. But it's not about rewarding bad choices. It's about not throwing good money after bad. It is stupid for our country to imprison people for vagrancy. We get to be a more compassionate society. And we save money doing it. Win-win.
This....
Way back when, while visiting my sister in law, I noticed that the military base near her was closed. I also noticed the large number of homeless, mostly older men. It was not hard to put two and two together. Give these guys a home. Im sure they would be happy sharing a boot camp barracks if 'to luxurious' was an issue with the on base family housing.
No one should have to worry about where they are going to sleep.
What ever happened to generosity and compassion? Having it used to mean something. People all loved Mother Teresa and commended her efforts, but how many who do so actually take on the same attitude?
We have it all wrong...major misappropriation of funds, in all kinds of directions.
Each resident is required to contribute 30 percent of his or her income, which includes any benefits like disability, veterans, or Social Security, toward rent.
That's not "giving", that is subsidizing.
Quote:
only 15 tenants have gotten in trouble and been asked to leave Moore Place.
I like the fact that they apparently hold them accountable for their actions.
That's fine. They're not on board with completely-free housing. But the program in Utah really does just give them an apartment (and weekly meetings with a social worker to try to turn their life around.) A cynical person might suggest that one of the reasons we keep rounding up the homeless and incarcerating them is that for-profit prisons make lots of taxpayer money that way.
If it costs the taxpayer less to give them a place to live -- and gets at least SOME the homeless out of the "vagrancy-substance-abuse-incarceration" vicious circle, show me a down side.
Emergency room care is the most expensive health care in America. So why do we force the indigent to use the ER when there are less expensive options? Prisons cost considerably more than cheap housing. So why do we pack people off to jail for psych issues?
That's fine. They're not on board with completely-free housing. But the program in Utah really does just give them an apartment (and weekly meetings with a social worker to try to turn their life around.) A cynical person might suggest that one of the reasons we keep rounding up the homeless and incarcerating them is that for-profit prisons make lots of taxpayer money that way.
If it costs the taxpayer less to give them a place to live -- and gets at least SOME the homeless out of the "vagrancy-substance-abuse-incarceration" vicious circle, show me a down side.
Emergency room care is the most expensive health care in America. So why do we force the indigent to use the ER when there are less expensive options? Prisons cost considerably more than cheap housing. So why do we pack people off to jail for psych issues?
Who's "rounding up and incarcerating" the homeless?
How about a little honesty here. If they're being "rounded up and incarcerated," it's not because they're homeless.
If it costs the taxpayer less to give them a place to live -- and gets at least SOME the homeless out of the "vagrancy-substance-abuse-incarceration" vicious circle, show me a down side.
It doesn't appear to have one. As long as they maintain their home at a least a minimum. And the taxpayers don't have to foot the bill. It fills up an otherwise empty house.
Emergency room care is the most expensive health care in America. Agreed, currently work in an E.R.
So why do we force the indigent to use the ER when there are less expensive options?
Because that is generally where the homeless end up first. When they finally seek medical care it is of an emergent nature.
Prisons cost considerably more than cheap housing.
True. For people appropriate to go into cheap housing (mentally competent, law abiding, mature)
So why do we pack people off to jail for psych issues?
Generally because they commit crimes stemming from those psych issue that put them in jail. I am not talking vagrancy either. Are you suggesting that mentally ill people not be held accountable for their actions and be allowed to re-offend because they are mentally ill? If they cannot be held accountable then someone needs to be put in charge of their care AND that person/group held accountable. You just can't let them continue to run loose and continue to re-offend time and again. That is not right for them or their innocent victims. Living on their own in cheap housing may not be the right fit for them unless/until such issues are effectively dealt with.
Generally because they commit crimes stemming from those psych issue that put them in jail. I am not talking vagrancy either. Are you suggesting that mentally ill people not be held accountable for their actions and be allowed to re-offend because they are mentally ill? If they cannot be held accountable then someone needs to be put in charge of their care AND that person/group held accountable. You just can't let them continue to run loose and continue to re-offend time and again. That is not right for them or their innocent victims. Living on their own in cheap housing may not be the right fit for them unless/until such issues are effectively dealt with.
No. I'm not suggesting that. I'm suggesting that homelessness exacerbates an already big problem. If people weren't out on the street all day, every day, their issues wouldn't always snowball.
Some people are going to melt down no matter what society tries to do for them. And for those people, we have institutions (and prisons). But most people, given the chance, would prefer to lead ordinary lives.
Housing the homeless is cheaper than incarcerating them and treating them in emergency rooms. Even though it makes sense, I don't think this program is going to catch on nation wide. I think that America's Puritan hang-ups will trump their ability to think about this rationally. "Spend less, do good, improve society" isn't as big a motivator as "punish the wicked."
Well off people are the way they are because of others. Face it. If you compare the upbringing of. a prosperous person to that of a chronically homeless individual you will see a drastic difference. Children of affluent families are just as capable of poor choices yet somehow they don't end up in missions.
With the proper support homeless people will succeed. Trust me, no one likes sleeping under a bridge. If it's all you've ever known its all you've ever known.
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