We spend plenty to fight homelessness.. but we still have people on the streets. Here are some points that could make our efforts effective.
HOMELESSNESS
We spend tons of money every year and the only real action is attempting to make the homeless more comfortable. Our goals should be to help END homelessness. For that to happen we have to shift our goals. Consolidation has to be enacted. As it is, we have numerous organizations in every metropolis whose purpose is to help the homeless. Every one of those organizations has it’s own command structure and overhead that requires expenditure or funds that they receive. If every city were to have those organizations to organize as one unit much of the waste could be done away with. Reducing the waste creates increases in how much revenue can be used for the intended purpose. Consolidation of services Take actions with purpose. Blankets can keep the homeless warm.. but they don’t get them out of homelessness. For this, we have to think bigger. Some cities have gone the route of “tiny home” villages for the homeless. This is an interesting step, but I’d like to go in a slightly different direction. We can take some of the old industrial sites that sit empty and useless and turn them into complexes to offer everything that the homeless need to get back on their feet. Simple, modular type homes set in a “community” setting can get them off of the street and, at the same time, re-insert them into a setting where they live in a setting that will remove them from the “survival” environment they’ve become used to and put them more into the environment of people who are a part of something and give them that sense of normalcy necessary to transition effectively from homelessness to productive member of society. With the consolidation of the homeless you can also consolidate services. It gives you a focused area that you can offer services and resources to move progress forward for the individuals being helped. When you stop splitting the resources over multiple agencies/areas, you improve the effectiveness of those services overall. This is what I refer to as a “Homeless Rehabilitation Facility”. Homeless Rehabilitation Facility Modest, community housing Sense of community With a “Homeless Rehabilitation Facility” like this, services like job training, counseling and health care can be provided by volunteer work and other programs with greater effectiveness where all parties can have a stable schedule, space and routine outside of the chaos of the streets. When an individual doesn’t have a stable environment then any help given will have, at best, chaotic results. What’s more, most of these services can be provided by donation/volunteer work in conjunction with local organizations such as Habitat for Humanity or local medical schools. The stable place of residence also gives opportunity for individuals to participate with things like community gardens, free food forests, social pass- times and taking pride in the upkeep of their shared space which is integral to adapting back to the everyday situations that we all take for granted. THIS is one of the most overlooked aspects of rehabilitation for the homeless. Job training Health Care Counseling The final step is to partner with various employers to move them to self sufficiency. After all is said and done, if they don’t have jobs they can’t get off of the street. Working directly with employers ensures that the training that you offer them can lead directly to employment AND that there will actually be a place for them in the work force. This plan, when implemented fully, can move the vast majority of the able homeless population into normal, stable lives. Partner with employers Train for jobs that exist