Another Look At Homelessness

For John, BLUF:  Homelessness is a complex problem, we’re not solving in the holistic manner required.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Homelessness Isn’t Just a Humanitarian Problem

Here is the sub-headline:

California activists are undermining their cause by ignoring and stigmatizing legitimate concerns about social disorder.

Notes that half of America's homeless live in California.

From Bloomberg, by Ms Virginia Postrel, October 3, 2019

Here is the lede plus one:

California has a homelessness crisis, but Californians don’t agree about what it is.

To homeless advocates, social service providers, many politicians and most journalists, it’s a humanitarian problem — a social tragedy of rapidly increasing numbers of men, women and families living without shelter, vulnerable to crime, disease and degradation. This state of affairs, they believe, is a “moral disaster.”

For sure, homelessness is a humanitarian crisis.  On the other hand, it isn’t just one thing.  The are those homeless due to a combination of addiction and mental illness (dual diagnosis).  Then there are those ended up homeless because housing prices keep creeping up, faster than their pay increases.  Then there are those who fell off the economic carousel, and haven't yet gotten back on.  Finally, there are those who just want to live free.

No one solution will deal with all those problems.  And especially, "Rent Control" is not a solution.

What did H L Mencken say?

There’s always an easy solution to every human problem—neat, plausible and wrong.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff