This is a refreshing take on the issue and speaks to the gap between what many NIMBY liberals claim to want and what they really want. This reminds me of when I lived in Calgary years ago and they opened a supervised (drug) consumption center in the middle of the city. People went there to use with clean needles and in a safe environment. This often exposed them to opportunities to find treatment, reduced both overall usage rates, and the prevalence of people using on the streets. The NIMBY's bemoaned the inevitable skyrocketing of crime that would come with it...and it never materialized. I applaud you for supporting a position that actually intends to do something about the issue without letting perfect be the executioner of good options.
Thanks, I appreciate that feedback! It’s a tough issue, and I’m not sure even Houston has figured it all out, but the culture warrior stuff isn’t helping anyone!
I also believe that family estrangement, and many families relocating due to jobs, or various other reasons, has left some people without any support system. I enjoyed the article and responses
It’s worth breaking out the families with children when comparing New York and Massachusetts to CA or high unsheltered states, both have requirements to shelter families where those thousands of people in shelter include thousands of kids who if they were in CA the parent would be unsheltered sleeping in a car while the kids would more often be not counted as homeless sleeping on a couch cushion or blanket on the floor with a family member. So the higher share of families increases the total count because of household size, but it’s also generally indicative of a willingness to shelter in the state/coc. Family homelessness is over 90% due entirely to housing costs with no behavioral health issues at all.
Yes, good points. New York's situation has also been exacerbated by the influx of migrants (no thanks in part to the actions of my governor here in Texas!).
I've interacted organically for decades with my neighbors who are in-the-woods-homeless and cars-family-motel homeless, but I'm just starting to get educated on the systemic approaches out there. Compelling numbers about Houston's success getting people housed. Any data on getting these folks stable and successful? Loose words, I know. I imagine there are technical terms out there. I.e., I wonder what percentage of the housed (A) cycle back to the streets, because they're too troubled to do the minimum (B) stabilize at the welfare-dependent level and (C) graduate to economic independence. Thanks for sharing!
This is a refreshing take on the issue and speaks to the gap between what many NIMBY liberals claim to want and what they really want. This reminds me of when I lived in Calgary years ago and they opened a supervised (drug) consumption center in the middle of the city. People went there to use with clean needles and in a safe environment. This often exposed them to opportunities to find treatment, reduced both overall usage rates, and the prevalence of people using on the streets. The NIMBY's bemoaned the inevitable skyrocketing of crime that would come with it...and it never materialized. I applaud you for supporting a position that actually intends to do something about the issue without letting perfect be the executioner of good options.
Thanks, I appreciate that feedback! It’s a tough issue, and I’m not sure even Houston has figured it all out, but the culture warrior stuff isn’t helping anyone!
I also believe that family estrangement, and many families relocating due to jobs, or various other reasons, has left some people without any support system. I enjoyed the article and responses
It’s worth breaking out the families with children when comparing New York and Massachusetts to CA or high unsheltered states, both have requirements to shelter families where those thousands of people in shelter include thousands of kids who if they were in CA the parent would be unsheltered sleeping in a car while the kids would more often be not counted as homeless sleeping on a couch cushion or blanket on the floor with a family member. So the higher share of families increases the total count because of household size, but it’s also generally indicative of a willingness to shelter in the state/coc. Family homelessness is over 90% due entirely to housing costs with no behavioral health issues at all.
Yes, good points. New York's situation has also been exacerbated by the influx of migrants (no thanks in part to the actions of my governor here in Texas!).
I've interacted organically for decades with my neighbors who are in-the-woods-homeless and cars-family-motel homeless, but I'm just starting to get educated on the systemic approaches out there. Compelling numbers about Houston's success getting people housed. Any data on getting these folks stable and successful? Loose words, I know. I imagine there are technical terms out there. I.e., I wonder what percentage of the housed (A) cycle back to the streets, because they're too troubled to do the minimum (B) stabilize at the welfare-dependent level and (C) graduate to economic independence. Thanks for sharing!