Homelessness is almost entirely a mental healthcare problem and a alcohol/drug problem. You have to start there.
So this isn’t really accurate.
A lot of homelessness is actually financial. That’s not the homelessness we see or the kind that gets people with more security all out of sorts. People living in cars, people in shelters, a lot of that is economic or life situation problems.
I think those two issues are much greater contributors to the particular style of camping homelessness that’s more upsetting to folks, but saying that you have to start there doesn’t really solve any of the problems. we know that in many cases getting a handle on one of those is nightmarishly difficult. Even people with means and strong systems of support regularly can’t beat them. It takes a lot of willpower and want to do it, in the simple fact is, people don’t do things just because you tell them it’s good for them. (people don’t listen to the seatbelt sign on airplanes, but we expect a homeless schizophrenic to lock in on a disciplined treatment?)
I agree that the “build homes“ argument is also rather unhelpful. Modern homes are complex undertakings. Many of the folks at issue don’t have the wherewithal to hold them together. I am intrigued by the idea of smaller structures that offer more basic things like protection and security, but more complex services aren’t tied to an individual structure. Maybe you OD on something in your shed instead of on the street, but that’s probably an improvement.
The other popular alternative is to basically dissolve most of your rights and freedoms once you hit a certain level of homelessness. The government gets to lock you away, hold you for an indeterminate amount of time, force medication and treatment upon you. In addition to the inhumanity and basic opposition to some of our nation’s principles, there would also be the massive economic undertaking of constructing that infrastructure. Quite an unappetizing set of options.
