Why Treatment is superior to Housing First to solve homelessness

1 – Housing First creates dependency on government, Treatment creates self-sufficiency

Housing First creates dependency on government’s expensive social services while treatment creates independence. Providing someone with free shelter (which is often very unsafe) does nothing to solve the disabling addiction and mental health problems. The individual then becomes dependent on government services.

Yet with treatment, the disabling problems are removed, and the person becomes employable or able to obtain education or training. They are not dependent on government services.

2 – Housing First is very expensive while Treatment cost less than 10%

Housing First is very expensive compared to Treatment. King County Spent $330,000 per room when it spent nearly a half billion taxpayer dollars to buy/refurbish 15 hotels to house the homeless. Besides these expenses, large public housing bureaucracies (with high pay and golden benefits) are built at the federal, state, regional (KCRHA), county, and city levels. The untreated person also becomes dependent on the government for their food, medical care, transportation, etc…

Yet with treatment, if done properly (i.e. not managed for the government  by greedy special interest groups), it will cost taxpayers less that 10% of giving them a free hotel room.  Then, once the addiction/mental health issues are managed, the person becomes self-sufficient and no longer dependent on the taxpayers.

3 – Housing First caused homelessness to increase 80% while Treatment has a 85% success rate

Housing first has cost us billions and homelessness has risen 80% in Washington in 12 years and more than 68% in King County in the past decade and it continues to grow.

Treatment-focused programs work – if done correctly. Austin’s Community First program has a remarkable 85% retention (success) rate. Even if success rate is far less, it is still a much better “public investment” than buying the person a free room where their addiction and mental health issues will continue to destroy their lives.

Simply put – Housing First benefits government employees and unaccountable special interest groups. Treatment-based approach helps the homeless person and benefits the taxpayers.