Ending Homelessnes: Government Intervention v Market Forces
In Finland — where innovation is more than just another word for privatization — they’ve managed to virtually end homelessness.
OK, so the Finns are more generous and just shell out a lot more to help the homeless, right?
Actually not. The Finns are simply smarter.
Instead of abandoning the homeless, they housed them. And that led to the insight that people tend to function better when they’re not living on the street or under a bridge.
Who would have guessed?
If we want to deal with our dysfunctional housing market more effectively than simply pushing the shelter beds closer together, the answer will involve increasing the supply of housing that isn’t based on the profit motive.
The best way to benefit low-income renters would be for government to create housing that isn’t based on the profit motive — by building housing itself or subsidizing non-profit groups to do so.
It turns out that, given a place to live, Finland’s homeless were better able to deal with addictions and other problems, not to mention handling job applications. So, more than a decade after the launch of the “Housing First” policy, 80 per cent of Finland’s homeless are doing well, still living in the housing they’d been provided with — but now paying the rent on their own.
This not only helps the homeless, it turns out to be cheaper.
Edited and paraphrased from:
How Finland managed to virtually end homelessness
By Linda McQuaig Contributing Columnist
The Toronto Star
Thu., April 20, 2023
https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2023/04/20/how-finland-managed-to-virtually-end-homelessness.html
04/29/2023 @ 3:37 pm
Many years now I’ve contended it is not a dirth of compassion but an essential exhaustion of logistics which ‘conundrums’ sustainability of paramount distribution of the human rights of children women and man-0-man so well illustrated if one even occassionally ‘awe’dits that charitable foundation — the synopsis my friend — brotherhood is not a fad — let me get out of this experimental comment:1wd FLEXTARIAN 💘
05/03/2023 @ 12:47 pm
Privatization never works in cases like these because privatization is by nature focused on narrowly defined return, not on the problem that needs addressing.
It doesn’t surprise me that it’s cheaper. It helps to understand conservatives. What bugs conservatives more than anything is poor people getting something that conservatives don’t think they deserve. They view this as the height of immorality. Why, I can’t tell you, but I’ve seen it often enough. So the idea that they’d resist this isn’t sensible but visceral.
05/07/2023 @ 6:25 am
If what you mean by ‘visceral’ is; selfishness and greed couched in racism and bigotry, I would tend to agree.
05/20/2023 @ 7:27 pm
‘A Daily Game of Russian Roulette’: Homeless in San Diego
As a record number of people die on America’s streets, Abdul Curry fights to stay alive.’
By Eli Saslow Photographs by Erin Schaff
May 13, 2023 NYT
Above is an intricate narrative journalistic revelation — profiles homelessness’ dire angst and tireless rescue … an exceptional read!
05/22/2023 @ 8:10 am
JPH;
Thanks for the insight and the information…
05/26/2023 @ 1:49 pm
Ron Powell you are welcome! I salute you with my peace sign!
Like: john lennon- give peace a chance