Based on the numbers he was using less than 2 tenths of one percent of the US population is homeless. When you look at the number 500,000+ seems like a lot, when you look at the percentage, doesn’t seem like much at all.
My solution. Take retired military bases, ( they are usually close to major cities) and turn them into homeless camps. Put up military tents, set out places for the people to make gardens and for kids to play when there. Provide transportation to the city for work if they have a job. Provide mental health and or drug assistance to those who need/want it.
If the folks have the desire and things improve in their lives they will move on, if they have no desire they simply stay there and don’t become a nuisance to the community.
Our city tore down some of the old projects, and built new supposedly mixed use housing at a price of about 147k per unit, or more than twice the average price of a home in our city. It didn’t end up being mixed use, it simply became subsidized housing and the residence are tearing it up. The old one was built out of brick and concrete, really hard to tear up, not the new pretty ones. Complete waste of taxpayer dollars.
Lets not forget what happens to the price of housing for those who have to purchase or rent their own place to live. Once gov. dollars start to influence the market, housing prices quickly increase making it difficult for lower income working people to find what was once affordable housing. The market has been artificially influenced so prices rise.
Sounds like the housing first initiatives that he is speaking of would do a number on the real market value of housing for ordinary people.
