There's No Place Like Homelessness
Housing and health care are inextricably bound
There is much more to being homeless than not having a safe place in which to live.
A myriad of factors tie into homelessness. It turns out that health care (specifically, the lack thereof) is an overarching concern.
In other words, the availability and provision of good health care is essential to breaking the cycle of homelessness.
“Along with things like food, transportation, education and domestic violence, housing is considered a ‘social determinant of health’ — something that affects health status, health outcomes — and health costs. People who endure prolonged homelessness have high rates of multiple chronic conditions and disabilities — mental illness, substance abuse, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, heart disease and other disorders. And it’s a vicious circle; people who have those conditions are more likely to become homeless.” (1)
“Cities like Rockford (IL) that are still making progress against homelessness are succeeding because they are focusing on public health as well as housing. If anyone still had doubts about the health-housing connection, the pandemic made it excruciatingly clear. People experiencing homelessness, and those living in crowded, substandard, or multi-generational settings, were more vulnerable to getting Covid, and more likely to spread it.” (1)
Look at it another way. Addressing homelessness is not (nor should it be) some sort of hand-wringing, do-something exercise.
Sure, it’s laudable to extend aid. Sure, it’s laudable to help people in distress regain some modicums of dignity.
But I daresay that from a public policy standpoint, there is a certain calloused wisdom – yes, calloused wisdom – in curbing homelessness.
Indirectly, it saves taxpayers money.
People without shelter often are unable to access health care on an outpatient basis. Instead, they are compelled to turn to hugely expensive hospital emergency rooms.
People without shelter and without work may find themselves turning to public assistance in the form of food stamps and other programs. Help with job placements and career training may lead instead to self-sufficiency.
People without shelter are vulnerable to illness. In instances of communicable diseases (think COVID), sickness may be spread inadvertently, resulting in higher incidences of illness in the general population and, with it, higher health costs for all.
People without shelter may have mental health needs. The widespread lack of suitable treatment instead places (or, more correctly, misplaces) burdens on law enforcement. The jailing of ill people is not only deleterious and inappropriate from a human needs standpoint: taxpayer funds are unnecessarily spent on jails and prisons when they would be more appropriately applied to mental health resources.
In short, homelessness is not a problem of and by itself. It’s actually a symptom.
To borrow a basketball analogy – a full court press of social services is required.
Helping homeless people does more than restore dignity to those we assist.
I believe that it is an uplifting of society as a whole.
Addendum offered without remark:
“Tennessee lawmakers are close to sending Republican Gov. Bill Lee a proposal that would threaten felony penalties against homeless people who camp on local public property — including in parks — and misdemeanors for camping around highways.” (2)
“During his speech, Frank Niceley offered his Senate colleagues a ‘history lesson’ and brought up Hitler as an example of a former homeless person who turned his life around.” (3)
"’In 1910, Hitler decided to live on the streets for a while,’ he said. ‘So for two years, Hitler lived on the streets and practiced his oratory and his body language and how to connect with the masses, and then went on to lead a life that's got him into history books.’" (3)
“Niceley said it's not a ‘dead end’ for people in Tennessee who are homeless.” (3)
"’They can come out of this, these homeless camps and have a productive life, or in Hitler's case, a very unproductive life,’" he added.” (3)
Sources:
(2) https://www.cbsnews.com/news/homeless-tennessee-legislation-felony-penalties-camp-public-property/
(3) https://www.cbsnews.com/news/frank-niceley-adolf-hitler-homeless-tennessee/
Background:
Built for Zero Campaign: https://www.joinbuiltforzero.org/
Madison (WI) Tiny Homes: https://www.madisontinyhomes.com/