Utah is Ending Homelessness by Giving People Homes

[theworldismine13]

Utah is Ending Homelessness by Giving People Homes
http://www.nationofchange.org/utah-ending-homelessness-giving-people-homes-1390056183

Earlier this month, Hawaii State representative Tom Bower (D) began walking the streets of his Waikiki district with a sledgehammer, and smashing shopping carts used by homeless people. “Disgusted” by the city’s chronic homelessness problem, Bower decided to take matters into his own hands — literally. He also took to rousing homeless people if he saw them sleeping at bus stops during the day.

Bower’s tactics were over the top, and so unpopular that he quickly declared “Mission accomplished,” and retired his sledgehammer. But Bower’s frustration with his city’s homelessness problem is just an extreme example of the frustration that has led cities to pass measures that effective deal with the homeless by criminalizing homelessness.

• City council members in Columbia, South Carolina, concerned that the city was becoming a “magnet for homeless people,” passed an ordinance giving the homeless the option to either relocate or get arrested. The council later rescinded the ordinance, after backlash from police officers, city workers, and advocates.
• Last year, Tampa, Florida — which had the most homeless people for a mid-sized city — passed an ordinance allowing police officers to arrest anyone they saw sleeping in public, or “storing personal property in public.” The city followed up with a ban on panhandling downtown, and other locations around the city.
• Philadelphia took a somewhat different approach, with a law banning the feeding of homeless people on city parkland. Religious groups objected to the ban, and announced that they would not obey it.
• Raleigh, North Carolina took the step of asking religious groups to stop their longstanding practice of feeding the homeless in a downtown park on weekends. Religious leaders announced that they would risk arrest rather than stop.

This trend makes Utah’s accomplishment even more noteworthy. In eight years, Utah has quietly reduced homelessness by 78 percent, and is on track to end homelessness by 2015.

How did Utah accomplish this? Simple. Utah solved homelessness by giving people homes. In 2005, Utah figured out that the annual cost of E.R. visits and jail says for homeless people was about $16,670 per person, compared to $11,000 to provide each homeless person with an apartment and a social worker. So, the state began giving away apartments, with no strings attached. Each participant in Utah’s Housing First program also gets a caseworker to help them become self-sufficient, but the keep the apartment even if they fail. The program has been so successful that other states are hoping to achieve similar results with programs modeled on Utah’s.

It sounds like Utah borrowed a page from Homes Not Handcuffs, the 2009 report by The National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty and The National Coalition for the Homeless. Using a 2004 survey and anecdotal evidence from activists, the report concluded that permanent housing for the homeless is cheaper than criminalization. Housing is not only more human, it’s economical.

This happened in a Republican state! Republicans in Congress would probably have required the homeless to take a drug test before getting an apartment, denied apartments to homeless people with criminal records, and evicted those who failed to become self-sufficient after five years or so. But Utah’s results show that even conservative states can solve problems like homelessness with decidedly progressive solutions.

 

[radio rahiem]

 

[Hiphoplives4eva]

This is a shortsighted solution to a very complex problem. There is not a scarcity of homes in America. Most homeless are either drug addicted or mentally disabled. Focusing on those issues is honestly the best way to fix homelessness IMHO.

But this is a commendable move by Utah. Perhaps states should consider shipping their homeless residents there?

 

[Calmye]

This is a shortsighted solution to a very complex problem. There is not a scarcity of homes in America. Most homeless are either drug addicted or mentally disabled. Focusing on those issues is honestly the best way to fix homelessness IMHO.

But this is a commendable move by Utah. Perhaps states should consider shipping their homeless residents there?

Why can't they do both? It seems like they are saving money putting these people in homes and the social worker is helping them put their life together. My thing is what's stopping a wave of homeless people from moving there to get a free Apt?

 

[ADevilYouKhow]

planning your next move op?

 

[Wild self]

This is great for them, but some areas in the U.S. suffer from a lack of land available. Of course states like Utah can do that where few people live.

 

[blackzeus]

It's messed up sometimes, anybody who's been to South Beach for more than a few days has seen the homeless police task force. Hilarious how they put on those black latex gloves before going near a homeless person like they're radioactive or some sh*t

 

[Serious]

@DEAD7

 

[Geek]

I used to hang around downtown Honolulu (Chinatown & Waikiki) that Bower needs to leave my dude Banzai alone.

 

[tmonster]

GIVING?
jesus would not do that
jesus would make them lazy handout loving comies work for a wage (to be determined by the free market) so they could get a loan with interest (to be determined by the free market) and buy themselves a home. This is the plan they should undertake, nothing will go wrong with THIS plan and we have NEVER tried this plan before.

 

[tmonster]

This is great for them, but some areas in the U.S. suffer from a lack of land available. Of course states like Utah can do that where few people live.

there is plenty of land everywhere I look, where do you speak of?

 

[Mr. Somebody]

This is a shortsighted solution to a very complex problem. There is not a scarcity of homes in America. Most homeless are either drug addicted or mentally disabled. Focusing on those issues is honestly the best way to fix homelessness IMHO.

But this is a commendable move by Utah. Perhaps states should consider shipping their homeless residents there?

So leave people in the street until you can find them jobs. Listen to yourself. You dont sound sound like you follow Jesus.

 

[DEAD7]

@DEAD7

Housing is not only more human, it’s economical.

Compared to what? Some other ridiculous situation?







Anywho its at a state level which is a lot more tolerable We'll just have to see how this plays out in the long run...

 

[gho3st]

short term solution

 

[Birnin Zana]

This is a shortsighted solution to a very complex problem. There is not a scarcity of homes in America. Most homeless are either drug addicted or mentally disabled. Focusing on those issues is honestly the best way to fix homelessness IMHO.

But this is a commendable move by Utah. Perhaps states should consider shipping their homeless residents there?

Which is why a case worker is assigned to them when they get the apartment. To help them out on such issues.