Why is the choice always to do one thing poorly, or nothing? “Housing first” shouldn’t mean housing without other services. Why do I get the sense that the reaction will eventually be to stop funding the housing because it’s not working, instead of having a complement of housing/drug treatment/mental health treatment?
As a nation, we seemingly don’t have the will to spend money on these kinds of wraparound services except in the context of our prisons, which are a very poor substitute for housing and healthcare while costing way more.
We could get so much more done per dollar with housing + actual supportive care, institutionalization for those unable to live in that kind of environment without harming others, and finally, reserve prison for those who society must actually be protected from.
As a nation, we seemingly don’t have the will to spend money on these kinds of wraparound services except in the context of our prisons, which are a very poor substitute for housing and healthcare while costing way more.
We could get so much more done per dollar with housing + actual supportive care, institutionalization for those unable to live in that kind of environment without harming others, and finally, reserve prison for those who society must actually be protected from.