Utah is on track to end homelessness by 2015 by simply giving away apartments

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

In 2005, Utah calculated the annual cost of E.R. visits and jail stays for an average homeless person was $16,670, while the cost of providing an apartment and social worker would be $11,000. Each participant works with a caseworker to become self-sufficient, but if they fail, they still get to keep their apartment.

[patrick1]

Have a look around, there was a good article on this type of housing scheme, iirc, in the New York Times magazine a few months back. Basically states how expensive the homeless alcoholic and drug addicts are to the system with ER visits and how giving them free housing is an economic solution if it doesnt necessarily feel right.  Further back still I think Malcolm Gladwell wrote about one man costing the systme a million dollars in a year.

[bgwah]

How long before other states start handing out bus tickets to Utah?

[World politics is up Schmitt creek]

I have to look into this in more detail but from what I read in this article this seems like really good policy, in a 'so seemingly obvious nobody thinks of it' kind of way.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

The article doesn't state how this program came to be.  I'm surprised that a state like Utah of all places would embrace such a program, and now officials in Wyoming want to do the same thing.

Just imagine how much the homelessness problem would go down if states like California, New York, Pennsylvania and Michigan were to start something like this.

[Zioneer]

The article doesn't state how this program came to be.  I'm surprised that a state like Utah of all places would embrace such a program, and now officials in Wyoming want to do the same thing.

Just imagine how much the homelessness problem would go down if states like California, New York, Pennsylvania and Michigan were to start something like this.

You're telling me; I live here in Utah, and I follow local politics very closely, but I had no idea this was even a thing! Good for my home state! I'm proud of our socialist actions here!

Are there any other sources for this? I feel like it should be trumpeted from the rooftops.

[LeBron]

Since I turned 18 last year, it's very tempting to go over there from Ohio and get myself a free apartment from the government. The rent it too damn high gentlemen.

BUT, their politics and religion are ridiculous, so uh....no.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

The article doesn't state how this program came to be.  I'm surprised that a state like Utah of all places would embrace such a program, and now officials in Wyoming want to do the same thing.

Just imagine how much the homelessness problem would go down if states like California, New York, Pennsylvania and Michigan were to start something like this.

I suspect California has a much higher homeless rate thanks to one-way bus rides paid by certain other states, and the fact that housing is pretty expensive.

[Indy Texas]

The article doesn't state how this program came to be.  I'm surprised that a state like Utah of all places would embrace such a program, and now officials in Wyoming want to do the same thing.

Just imagine how much the homelessness problem would go down if states like California, New York, Pennsylvania and Michigan were to start something like this.

Except in CA and NY, it's less likely that the cost of housing the homeless would be cheaper than periodically putting out the fires of their periodic criminal and medical crises.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

The article doesn't state how this program came to be.  I'm surprised that a state like Utah of all places would embrace such a program, and now officials in Wyoming want to do the same thing.

Just imagine how much the homelessness problem would go down if states like California, New York, Pennsylvania and Michigan were to start something like this.

Except in CA and NY, it's less likely that the cost of housing the homeless would be cheaper than periodically putting out the fires of their periodic criminal and medical crises.

I don't have any numbers to verify what you said, but do you think that the status quo in CA and NY are preferable to Utah's program?  Homelessness is part of the reason those criminal and medical crises occur so frequently.

[tik 🪀✨]

This is an all-around excellent, fiscally conservative solution. I'd love to hear a conservative against the policy whose position doesn't boil down to "poors deserve squalor."

I can't believe it's happening in Utah, though. I tip my hat to you.

[Hatman 🍁]

Every adult on the planet should have at least an apartment that they can call their own property. It should be a right. Owning vs not owning property creates a certain unnecessary class system. Good on Utah for doing this, it's a step in the right direction. I suspect "good Mormon values" had a play in this?

[RedSLC]

Every adult on the planet should have at least an apartment that they can call their own property. It should be a right. Owning vs not owning property creates a certain unnecessary class system. Good on Utah for doing this, it's a step in the right direction. I suspect "good Mormon values" had a play in this?

That would be my guess.

Anyway, hats off to my state for doing this. Sometimes, I really do enjoy living here.

[World politics is up Schmitt creek]

Every adult on the planet should have at least an apartment that they can call their own property. It should be a right. Owning vs not owning property creates a certain unnecessary class system. Good on Utah for doing this, it's a step in the right direction. I suspect "good Mormon values" had a play in this?

That would be my guess.

I mean, say what you will about the actual doctrines of the Latter-Day Saint religion, but it's hard to deny its success in encouraging its own view of social conscience and, more than that, engagement.

[Zioneer]

What makes this even better is that Utahns are hugely in favor of anti-discrimination policies in housing (even many Mormons are in favor), meaning they're in favor of making it illegal to fire someone or kick them out of housing just because they're gay. LBGT homelessness is a huge issue in Utah (something like a fourth of all homeless people in Utah are LGBT), and this signifies both a changing view on LGBT rights, and once passed (It'll be proposed for the second time next year, I think it has a good chance of passing), that'll cut down on homelessness even more. It's sad that there's an anti-LGBT culture here in the first place, but things are changing.

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

Wow, I'm astonished.  Usually the right puts aside the whole "fiscal concern" aspect of their ideology in order to make sure poors are punished for their economic situation.  Seems like Utah is SO conservative that they've actually crunched the numbers and have seen that socialism is the most responsible and cost-effective choice. 

Chalk one up for the whole "horseshoe theory" of the political right and left, eh?

[Antonio the Sixth]

Surprisingly excellent policy for an uber-Republican State.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

It's a shame Bushie didn't hear about this before he moved back to OK. 

[Indy Texas]

The article doesn't state how this program came to be.  I'm surprised that a state like Utah of all places would embrace such a program, and now officials in Wyoming want to do the same thing.

Just imagine how much the homelessness problem would go down if states like California, New York, Pennsylvania and Michigan were to start something like this.

Except in CA and NY, it's less likely that the cost of housing the homeless would be cheaper than periodically putting out the fires of their periodic criminal and medical crises.

I don't have any numbers to verify what you said, but do you think that the status quo in CA and NY are preferable to Utah's program?  Homelessness is part of the reason those criminal and medical crises occur so frequently.

I never said anything about the status quo in CA and NY. I'm just pointing out that if your goal as a policymaker is to minimize the cost of maintaining the homeless population, Utah's solution probably isn't going to be the cheapest one if your housing costs are stratospheric.

Utah isn't doing this because they're a bunch of feel-good progressives who think everyone is entitled to a house and mental healthcare and candy and marshmallows. They're doing it because it saves them money versus what they'd spend at the back end when these people end up in the ER or in jail or damage property. The cheaper solution is also the solution that is no doubt better for the homeless, so it's a win-win.

[Link]

How long before other states start handing out bus tickets to Utah?

From this summer...

[Indy Texas]

How long before other states start handing out bus tickets to Utah?

From this summer...

They've done that for a while. The fact that Hawaii is a volcanic archipelago with an inelastic real estate supply and structurally high prices due to everything having to be flown in from elsewhere basically means you're screwed if you're homeless.

[Link]

I suspect "good Mormon values" had a play in this?

Yeah, not surprising at all.  I believe it was Mark Twain in one of his books that remarked about how clean and orderly Salt Lake city was.  Even back then Mormons went to great lengths to keep their cities nice and free of things like public drunkenness and crime.

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

I suspect "good Mormon values" had a play in this?

Yeah, not surprising at all.  I believe it was Mark Twain in one of his books that remarked about how clean and orderly Salt Lake city was.  Even back then Mormons went to great lengths to keep their cities nice and free of things like public drunkenness and crime.

Man, that would be the uber-cynical point of view of this whole thing, wouldn't it?  Could Utah be doing this because the poors are unpleasant for the dapper and well-dressed denizens to look at when they hit the town for weekend family time? 

[Link]

Man, that would be the uber-cynical point of view of this whole thing, wouldn't it?  Could Utah be doing this because the poors are unpleasant for the dapper and well-dressed denizens to look at when they hit the town for weekend family time? 

That most certainly was not what I was saying or what I gleaned from Mark Twains writings.  By addressing the issues one of the side effects is things are more pleasant for everyone.  If you choose to believe that is the sole motivation behind offering this type of assistance that is an inference you will have to make on your own.  I  made no such observation.

[Starbucks Union Thug HokeyPuck]

Man, that would be the uber-cynical point of view of this whole thing, wouldn't it?  Could Utah be doing this because the poors are unpleasant for the dapper and well-dressed denizens to look at when they hit the town for weekend family time? 

That most certainly was not what I was saying or what I gleaned from Mark Twains writings.  By addressing the issues one of the side effects is things are more pleasant for everyone.  If you choose to believe that is the sole motivation behind offering this type of assistance that is an inference you will have to make on your own.  I  made no such observation.

I'm not really looking at it that way.  I'm just pointing out it's probably the most cynical and pessimistic of rationales for this policy. 

Honestly, I think it's entirely fiscal.  I guess that's... kind of okay?