Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Ending Chronic Homelessness

Chronic homelessness is declining so rapidly in America that people are talking seriously about ending it completely:
Nationally, from 2010 to 2013, chronic homelessness declined by 16 percent, and homelessness among veterans declined by 24 percent. . . . More than 50 cities have been housing at least 2.5 percent of their chronically homeless population for three consecutive months, a pace that correlates with ending chronic homelessness in four or five years.
The latest success is the 100,000 Homes Campaign, which expects this summer to meet its goal of putting 100,000 homeless people into permanent housing. The key is the "housing first" strategy that became our national policy under Bush II: first, put people in apartments, then get them medical care, then try to get them jobs and lives.

This is the hardcore, long-term homeless we are talking about, the people who wear rags and sleep on benches. Not so long ago this seemed like an unsolvable problem, but in the past ten years great progress has been made.

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