Re:Rough sleeping has been almost eradicated in Helsinki
by adventured on Monday February 04, 2019 @01:13AM
(#19074324)
It's an approach that has shown dramatic positive results in the US over the last 20 years.
The shelter the homeless programs in the US reduced the homeless population from ~650,000 to ~550,000 today over one decade (2007-2016), despite the great recession occuring during that time (with a massive spike in unemployment and people losing their homes). Unsheltered homelessness, which would be approximately equivalent to rough sleeping in the UK I believe, declined from 255,000 to 176,000 (31%) over that decade.
The Federal Government programs under Bush and Obama are solely responsible for the improvement, against a mediocre economic picture during that time. The housing first program under the Bush Admin, and then the various housing programs followed by that during Obama Admin[1].
If we're smart, we'll keep applying more resources that direction. It works [2] and we have overwhelming proof over the last two decades.
The shelter the homeless programs in the US reduced the homeless population from ~650,000 to ~550,000 today over one decade (2007-2016), despite the great recession occuring during that time (with a massive spike in unemployment and people losing their homes). Unsheltered homelessness, which would be approximately equivalent to rough sleeping in the UK I believe, declined from 255,000 to 176,000 (31%) over that decade.
The Federal Government programs under Bush and Obama are solely responsible for the improvement, against a mediocre economic picture during that time. The housing first program under the Bush Admin, and then the various housing programs followed by that during Obama Admin[1].
If we're smart, we'll keep applying more resources that direction. It works [2] and we have overwhelming proof over the last two decades.
[1] https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/econo...
[2] https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/08/the-ast...