NY/CA analysis: Housing First (Treatment Later—if at all) only hurts local homeless individuals

Repudiating the simplistic assessment that homelessness is caused by lack of permanent housing, Michele Steeb of the New York Post explains how Housing First failed New York and California. After adopting “utopian” Housing First policies, both states observed increased homelessness statistics (in CA, a 47.1% rise in 2016). Steeb argues that in-service treatment centers provide dignified living environments while addressing mental health/substance abuse challenges at the core of long-term homelessness.

In California, the only state to have fully adopted Housing First in 2016, unsheltered homelessness grew by 47.1%, despite a 101% increase in spending and a 33% increase in the number of housing units dedicated to the homeless.

All this occurred during a period of historically high economic growth accompanied by rapidly rising real wages. If housing alone were the key to solving homelessness, the unsheltered homeless population would have declined nationally and in California.

The theory behind Housing First is that the homeless cannot be helped unless they first have their own home. Once permanently housed, only then will the homeless accept services, such as substance abuse programs, counseling, work training and so on. Not only does this ignore the efficacy and cost savings of providing the homeless services in congregate living environments as is done in the program I ran for 13 years, it also ignores the foundational diseases with which the homeless largely struggle.

More than three-quarters of the street homeless are battling substance-use disorder and/or mental illness, and a majority of the addicted/mentally ill struggle with anosognosia — a deficit of self-awareness. To the surprise of few who understand these diseases, and who understand human nature, very few of the housed end up requesting services once they are comfortably housed and able to continue to engage in negative behaviors.

This article originally appeared in the New York Post. Read the whole thing here.

Follow Opportunity Now on Twitter @svopportunity

Image by Robin Webster