Data says: Housing First model is the opposite of caring

Barrier-free taxpayer-funded homeless housing is often lauded by the left as The Compassionate Approach. Housing First meets individuals where they're at, whether they're addicted to substances or experiencing a severe mental illness. However, the Daily Caller's roundup of recent stats tells a different story: Unrestricted housing policies have only seen increased rates of homelessness and death.

It’s a question of compassion. The official approach to homelessness in California (plagiarized from the federal government), called “Housing First,” is billed as a compassionate, effective measure designed to keep the most vulnerable from suffering or dying on our streets.

But Californians know better. The homeless are dying in greater numbers than ever before — and lives are being destroyed by an approach that enables self-destructive behavior rather than encourages people to participate in improving their well-being.

“People look at homelessness as the issue,” says recently sworn-in Sacramento County Supervisor Pat Hume. “It’s not; it’s people. Homelessness is by and large the result of drug addiction and mental health.” If you put someone who is struggling out of public eye, in housing by themselves, they’ll spiral even further and faster. They’ll probably end up back on the street. It’s a failed model on every level. We’re addressing a housing situation, not the real issues.” (RELATED: PETER ROFF: Is Gavin Newsom The Solution To Dems’ Joe Biden Problem?)

Indeed, since its debut in California, the homelessness population has mushroomed. Despite a 33% increase in the number of permanent housing units dedicated to the homeless since the 2016 adoption of the Housing First approach, California’s unsheltered homeless population rose by 47.1%, according to 2020, pre-pandemic data from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Post-pandemic data reveals that California—with 12% of nation’s population—is now home to 30% of its homeless population and 50% of its unsheltered population.

Unsurprisingly, the death rate of those experiencing homelessness has also ballooned. A pre-pandemic data analysis from the nation’s 20 largest cities reveals a 77% increase in homeless deaths over the 2015-2020 period. These majority of these deaths — drug overdoses, violence, traffic deaths and premature lethality of treatable conditions like heart disease — were preventable or treatable.

This article originally appeared in the Daily Caller. Read the whole thing here.

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