Reform CA: Contra Housing First, having a roof over your head won't eradicate homelessness

In a 6.23 e-mailer, Reform California, summarizes why SJ's Housing First methodology is plain illogical: It's costly but doesn't actually combat homelessness, which is 50% more often associated with mental health/substance abuse issues than with economic displacement. The Bay Area needs other, creative, more holistic solutions to our homeless epidemic—not another tax hike to build more PSH.

California’s politicians are promoting failed “Housing First” policies that have wasted billions in taxpayer funds — costing up to $1 million per unit — while making homelessness worse in our state.

What’s worse, as these expensive taxpayer-funded housing units are doled out to homeless people, we are not allowed to insist that the homeless actually get help and undergo treatment to fix the root cases of their dependency (While 25% of homeless are economically displaced, roughly 75% of chronic homeless individuals have mental health and/or substance abuse problems)....

We’re sick and tired of throwing good money after [tax hike proposals and Housing First projects]...

This email was originally published by Reform California.

Read more on challenging SJ’s discredited Housing First orthodoxy here and here.

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