A solution for homelessness?

Bookmarks: Meet the outsider who accidentally solved chronic homelessness • McDonald’s issues again • Carter Scott update

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Meet the outsider who accidentally solved chronic homelessness

I remain very skeptical of Housing First.

Notwithstanding very encouraging numbers.

Note that the approach targets principally “dual diagnosis” individuals. The savings represent the fact that — “the system” — has housed those individuals whose former street life was singularly most costly to “the system.” Other populations would not present the same savings.

Note also — Please correct me if I’m wrong! — that there is no mention of any hope or expectation that these persons will ever become self-supporting.

So my goals, my status, remain unaddressed.

Postscript, 2021-01-05: I can’t complain too much about my current COVID-caused housing in a hotel. But I’m in a Housing First program NOW, and absolutely nothing is happening. At the shelter I was in before, subject of my June 2, 2020 podcast, we were told, “Don’t get too comfortable here. We mean to have you housed within 120 days.” That was in May. Today, it’s January.

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A McDonald’s Bars Customer from Buying Meal for Homeless Person

First, I took my own complaint as high up the ladder as I was willing to, and in the end the person on the other end of the phone line told me, “McDonald’s serves whomever it likes.” On the one hand, given its rights as a private entity, I see no way around that. On a different hand, by comparison, I sure don’t know what to make of the current controversy over wedding cakes for gay couples.

Second, it is entirely possible that this particular homeless individual had been barred from the store. It happens. People get barred. And not necessarily just homeless people.

Third, the article indicates previous issues at this particular McDonald’s.

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Wednesday 2015-05-20