• logicbomb@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    The stupidest part is that both Republicans (in Utah at least) and Democrats have seen, first hand, that Housing First initiatives are actually less expensive for the government than just ignoring, then displacing inconvenient homeless populations.

    Research in Seattle, Washington, found that providing housing and support services for homeless alcoholics costs taxpayers less than leaving them on the street, where taxpayer money goes towards police and emergency health care.

    Both morality and fiscal responsibility agree on certain issues, and this is one of them.

    I’m not saying that housing first is the ultimate best remedy, because I don’t know all of the alternatives. Just that clearing homeless camps is proven to be expensive and ineffective.

    • queermunist she/her@lemmy.ml
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      1 year ago

      They don’t care about morality or fiscal responsibility because they aren’t stupid.

      Homelessness exists as a threat to keep you terrified of poverty.

    • Rowsdower@lemmy.ca
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      1 year ago

      They’re trying out large sanctioned camps here and it costs almost twice as much per person than just giving them housing directly. They don’t admit people who are deemed to be a danger to themselves or others so there really is no reason to not supply housing directly