Cause of homelessness? Not drugs or mental illness, study says

Re:Cause of homelessness? Not drugs or mental illness, study... by kelseyfrog on Tuesday July 12, 2022 @06:17PM (#32076401)

I'd be happy to be proven wrong by someone who can demonstrate that a maket can guarantee everyone a place to live, but so far the current state of affairs seems to be evidence of the contrary. It looks exactly like a market failure of a good with inelastic demand, but no one wants to come out and say that.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Cause of homelessness? Not drugs or mental illness, study... by Schroedingersat on Tuesday July 12, 2022 @06:36PM (#32076632)

Wow, market realism much? You don't even seem to realise that's not the point that was being critiqued.

Also housing is not a free market in the slightest. It's heavily subsidized for the benefit of 'investors' in the form of unpaid for infrastructure and being far less taxed than labour among other things, and extremely distorted by euclidean zoning and nimbyism.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Cause of homelessness? Not drugs or mental illness, study... by fallingfrog on Tuesday July 12, 2022 @06:28PM (#32076542)

If markets by themselves can’t supply everyone with a place to live- something which every human needs- then perhaps we should try a different approach. There are plenty of ways to solve this problem.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Cause of homelessness? Not drugs or mental illness, study... by comfypotato on Tuesday July 12, 2022 @06:54PM (#32076825)

Finland is an extreme example of a housing market that provides a place for everyone to live. Obviously it's not a free market, but does it not prove you wrong?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Cause of homelessness? Not drugs or mental illness, study... by kelseyfrog on Tuesday July 12, 2022 @07:22PM (#32077092)

Right, and a market didn't accomplish that. This did

> Julkisen vallan tehtävänä on edistää jokaisen oikeutta asuntoon ja tukea asumisen omatoimista järjestämistä.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Cause of homelessness? Not drugs or mental illness, study... by comfypotato on Wednesday July 13, 2022 @06:36AM (#32080887)

Powers outside of the academic oversimplification of supply and demand are at play in both markets, US and Finland. What is your logic that differentiates that which leaves people homeless in the US as "the market at work"?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Cause of homelessness? Not drugs or mental illness, study... by kelseyfrog on Wednesday July 13, 2022 @05:06PM (#32088766)

Basic economic definitions. The markets have no obligation to meet ineffective demand. In fact that's the real issue at stake. What does ineffective demand look like in housing markets: homelessness.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Cause of homelessness? Not drugs or mental illness, study... by comfypotato on Thursday July 14, 2022 @06:35AM (#32094189)

Ineffective demand (in this case a sad thing) can be met, though [Finland], yet you say there is no problem. I’m upset by your callous remark.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Cause of homelessness? Not drugs or mental illness, study... by kelseyfrog on Thursday July 14, 2022 @12:46PM (#32098435)

I see. I use being incorrect as a rhetorical device in order to be proven wrong so that we can have this conversation about how markets don't provide housing through ineffective demand. Saying something wrong on the internet is a good way to get people to make the arguments I want them to make.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Cause of homelessness? Not drugs or mental illness, study... by comfypotato on Friday July 15, 2022 @05:20AM (#32106295)

Then I’m glad you don’t actually feel that way.

[ Parent | on HN ]