Interesting. Of course homelessness can be solved on a case-by-case basis, but the overall homeless condition?jambalaya wrote:If you are correct (which thankfully you are not) and homelessness is an issue that cannot be solved...
If someone is fundamentally mentally unstable, whatever the reason, what are the options really? There are ultimately only two. You can confine them in an institution, give them treatment and medication...and then what? Keep them there for the rest of their lives? Is society prepared to do that, from either a cost or human rights standpoint? Because if not, then you ultimately have to release them to their own care and means.
When that happens, 9 times out of 10 they will stop taking the medication which is necessary for them to maintain some level of coherence, or the medication makes them incapable of holding a job, or they start consuming alcohol and drugs again to help them get through the day, and so on. The majority of such people cannot control their own actions, and unless someone is watching them every hour of every day noone else can either. And then at this point, they become a danger to themselves and others, so they are impossible to house, and it is unfair to put them with others that have a legitimate opportunity to get back on their feet. Then you either confine them again in an institution, or push them out onto the street.
Americans don't like hearing that there is no solution to something, but no amount of money will resolve the above conundrum anytime in the near future. The only possible solution is to try to prevent the environmental causes of mental instability, drugs for example, and cure genetic causes such as schizophrenia, but we are a loooong way from having the technology or knowledge to do that.
I see no evidence that Larry Rice cares about any of this. At best, even assuming his intentions are good, the only part of this cycle in which he seems remotely interested is the "housing" portion.
